Autism is a developmental disability that has a direct impact on a person’s social, communication, and behavioral skills. Understanding your pregnancy risk for autism will help you prepare for the birth of your new child and understand what challenges may arise in their development.
When does autism develop?
Mitigating the causes of autism during pregnancy and after giving birth
There can be a lot of anxiety during pregnancy worrying about your unborn baby. Karen Aronian shared her experience with Mom.com. “When I found out that I was having a boy during my second pregnancy, I knew that the risk of autism incidence was higher, as boys are four times more likely than girls to be on the spectrum.”
However, make sure to take a critical eye to research that you do on your own — many studies are controversial, and you should talk to your doctor before making any decisions that will affect you and your baby.
For example, there is concern by parents that vaccines cause autism. But according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), vaccines do not cause autism based on scientific studies. The onset coincides with many milestones and vaccination schedules. In fact, it is recommended that expectant moms get the rubella vaccine to prevent rubella-associated autism.
Also, many women are opting to not get epidurals during labor because some studies showed there was an increased chance of a boy developing autism when delivered after having an epidural administered. However, a more recent study conducted by Stanford Medicine showed there is no correlation between epidurals and children with autism.
“We did not find evidence for any genuine link between having an epidural and putting your baby at increased risk of autism spectrum disorder,” senior author Alexander Butwick, MD, said in the study that was published in April of 2021.
