Title |
Prenatal fever and autism risk
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Published in |
Molecular Psychiatry, June 2017
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DOI | 10.1038/mp.2017.119 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
M Hornig, M A Bresnahan, X Che, A F Schultz, J E Ukaigwe, M L Eddy, D Hirtz, N Gunnes, K K Lie, P Magnus, S Mjaaland, T Reichborn-Kjennerud, S Schjølberg, A-S Øyen, B Levin, E S Susser, C Stoltenberg, W I Lipkin |
Abstract |
Some studies suggest that prenatal infection increases risk of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). This study was undertaken in a prospective cohort in Norway to examine whether we could find evidence to support an association of the prenatal occurrence of fever, a common manifestation of infection, with ASD risk. Prospective questionnaires provided maternal exposure data; case status was established from clinical assessments and registry linkages. In a large, prospectively ascertained cohort of pregnant mothers and their offspring, we examined infants born ⩾32 weeks for associations between fever exposure in each trimester and ASD risk using logistic regression. Maternal exposure to second-trimester fever was associated with increased ASD risk, adjusting for presence of fever in other trimesters and confounders (adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 1.40; 95% confidence interval, 1.09-1.79), with a similar, but nonsignificant, point estimate in the first trimester. Risk increased markedly with exposure to three or more fever episodes after 12 weeks' gestation (aOR, 3.12; 1.28-7.63). ASD risk appears to increase with maternal fever, particularly in the second trimester. Risk magnified dose dependently with exposure to multiple fevers after 12 weeks' gestation. Our findings support a role for gestational maternal infection and innate immune responses to infection in the pathogenesis of at least some cases of ASD.Molecular Psychiatry advance online publication, 13 June 2017; doi:10.1038/mp.2017.119. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United States | 17 | 24% |
Spain | 10 | 14% |
United Kingdom | 5 | 7% |
Japan | 4 | 6% |
Canada | 3 | 4% |
Italy | 2 | 3% |
Mexico | 1 | 1% |
France | 1 | 1% |
Unknown | 28 | 39% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Members of the public | 57 | 80% |
Scientists | 8 | 11% |
Practitioners (doctors, other healthcare professionals) | 6 | 8% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Unknown | 210 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Master | 28 | 13% |
Researcher | 27 | 13% |
Student > Ph. D. Student | 27 | 13% |
Student > Doctoral Student | 21 | 10% |
Student > Bachelor | 18 | 9% |
Other | 36 | 17% |
Unknown | 53 | 25% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Medicine and Dentistry | 43 | 20% |
Neuroscience | 26 | 12% |
Psychology | 24 | 11% |
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 14 | 7% |
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 8 | 4% |
Other | 29 | 14% |
Unknown | 66 | 31% |