In United States one in 88 children is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Being the figure so high, it is interesting to know what are the different factors that can increase the risk of a child suffering from it, and the latest research related to the disorder has been done looking at the beginning of everything, the moment of birth, in case there is some association between how to come to the world and autism.
Researchers at the Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, have conducted a study in which they suggest that induced births, that is, those in which uterine contractions are stimulated before the mother has spontaneously given birth, and births in which she is medicated to increase the strength, duration and frequency of contractions they make the risk of the baby born from being diagnosed with autism in childhood greater.
How was the study done
To carry out the investigation, 625,042 cases of live-born babies were analyzed, among which there were 5,500 children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. With all the records they tried to observe if there was any relationship between the induced deliveries and the increased births (the mother has already gone into labor, but the contractions are stimulated to be more intense, frequent and lasting) and the autism.
They saw that when some children were compared with others, those born through medicated births to achieve the described purposes with those born naturally, without any medication to accelerate labor, the former had a higher risk of autism, even when confounding factors related to socioeconomic status, maternal health, problems during pregnancy or events during childbirth were isolated, as well as the year of birth. It was also seen that the increased risk of being diagnosed with autism was greater in boys than in girls.
More research is missing
The results are interesting and could prove once again that the best way to be born is that which nature has planned for the baby and the mother, and that the use of medication to speed things up can be harmful. I say they could because they are not conclusive, as new studies are needed to help explain the association, if it really exists, because the reason for the increased risk of autism could be the same as that makes professionals decide to induce or accelerate a delivery , and not the same medication, as could also be the type of treatment used or the dose.
Two years ago we talked about the possible association between synthetic oxytocin (used to induce and increase births) and autism, with a study that talked about it. The current study, however, remains insufficient to confirm this association.
In any case, as I say, it seems that the most prudent and beneficial could be what has been recommended for some time: do little or nothing, let the delivery progress, observe without interfering and act only if necessary.
