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Study: Mother-to-Baby Infections Raise Autism Risk
25 Sep
Summary
- TORCH infections in newborns triple autism diagnosis risk.
- These rare infections also raise intellectual disability risk significantly.
- Genetics remain the primary cause of autism, study confirms.
A comprehensive study analyzing nearly 3.7 million births in Sweden between 1987 and 2021 has uncovered a notable connection between TORCH infections and neurodevelopmental conditions. Congenital infections, including toxoplasmosis, other infections, rubella, cytomegalovirus, and herpes simplex, were found to significantly elevate a child's risk for autism and intellectual disability.
Children diagnosed with a TORCH infection at birth were approximately three times more likely to receive an autism diagnosis and over seven times more likely to be diagnosed with an intellectual disability. For severe intellectual disabilities, the likelihood increased dramatically, becoming 30 times higher.
While these infections are rare in Sweden, accounting for a small percentage of overall autism and severe intellectual disability cases, the study's lead author noted their strong association. The research, which also compared infected children with their siblings, provides robust evidence for environmental influences on neurodevelopment beyond genetics.
Researchers found no clear links between TORCH infections and conditions like ADHD or OCD, but noted poorer academic performance in affected children. The study underscores the importance of public health initiatives, such as vaccination programs, in preventing such congenital infections.
