The link between infection during pregnancy and autism is not as hypothesized

Infection with the virus in pregnant women increases the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism later in life

"Our findings suggest that infections during pregnancy may not pose a significant risk to the baby's brain as previously thought, which can reassure expectant parents," said

Previous studies have shown a link

But they haven't yet been able to determine whether the mother's exposure to the infection is the real cause, or whether there are other factors

The current study is based on data

Similar to previous studies, the researchers found that infections that require special care during pregnancy were associated with an increased risk of autism and intellectual disability in

But when the researchers studied siblings, the results were

The researchers also examined the child's risk

Here, the researchers can see that infection in the year before pregnancy is associated with the risk of autism to the same extent as infection during pregnancy, but not to the risk of intellectual disability

"The link between infection in pregnant women and an increased risk of autism in children does not appear to be causal

Because the findings of the study on intellectual disability are less clear, it cannot be ruled out that infection during pregnancy may affect the risk

The researchers emphasize that they only looked at general infection diagnoses

Maternal infection during pregnancy and likelihood of autism and intellectual disability in children in Sweden: a negative control and sibling comparison cohort study