New study takes on another myth about what causes autism: Many mothers feel guilty

Despite decades of extensive research, the precise causes of autism are still a mystery.About 1 in 36 US children have been diagnosed with autism, a complex group of developmental conditions characterized by repetitive behaviors and difficulties with social interactions.Recent studies have suggested that maternal sickness during pregnancy increases the risk of autism in the child.But new research from NYU Langone Health found “no convincing evidence” that autism can be caused by a mother contracting an infection, suffering depression or having other health troubles while pregnant.Instead, the researchers said autism diagnoses can often be chalked up to genetics, exposure to pollution and access to healthcare. “We saw no association between the individual [diagnostic codes on medical records] indicating maternal infection and [a child’s] autism diagnosis,” senior study author Magdalena Janecka told The Post, “however, we cannot say conclusively that maternal infection does not cause autism.”Janecka’s team analyzed more than 1.1 million Danish pregnancies.

Denmark’s registry data is better organized and more comprehensive than the US system, said Janecka, an associate professor in the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the Department of Population Health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.Researchers narrowed their focus to 236 maternal conditions reported in the health records.They were able to attribute most of the children’s autism diagnoses to factors such as the mother’s age during pregnancy — kids of older mothers are more likely to have autism — and genetics.For example, the researchers said if a woman experiences depression during her pregnancy and her child is diagnosed with autism, it’s much more likely the pair share genes that cause both conditions instead of the depression causing autism in the developing fetus.“Many mothers of children with autism feel guilty about it,” said Janecka, “thinking that they...