Understood: Link between autism, severe infection while pregnant

Two new studies from MIT and University of Massachusetts Medical School shed more light on the link between severe infection during pregnancy and autism and identify possible approaches to preventing it.

Updated: January 3, 2018 12:20 am

neurology, bacterial attack, autism, pregnancy, severe infection, birth defect, mit research papers, University of Massachusetts Medical School, indian express

Beautiful pregnant woman sitting at bed and holds hands on belly in bedroom at home. Pregnancy, parenthood, preparation and expectation concept. Close-up, indoors.

Written by Gloria Choi and others

Mothers who experience an infection severe enough to require hospitalisation during pregnancy are at higher risk of having a child with autism. Two new studies from MIT and University of Massachusetts Medical School shed more light on this phenomenon and identify possible approaches to preventing it.

In research on mice, the researchers found that the composition of bacterial populations in the mother’s digestive tract can influence whether maternal infection leads to autistic-like behaviours in offspring. They also discovered the specific brain changes that produce these behaviours. If validated in human studies, the findings could offer a possible way to reduce the risk of autism, which would involve blocking the function of certain strains of bacteria found in the maternal gut, the researchers say.