Link between prenatal inflammation and autism identified

A National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences study has revealed a possible link between cases of prenatal inflammation and a heightened risk of autism among children.

According to the research, mothers with elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) – a known marker of systemic inflammation – may see an overactive immune response that alters the development of the foetus' central nervous system.

The risk of autism among children in the study was increased by 43 percent among mothers with CRP levels in the top 20th percentile, rising to 80 percent for maternal CRP in the top tenth percentile.

Though the majority of mothers with increased CRP levels will not go on to have autistic children, the trend is significant enough to be worthy of study.

Dr Alan Brown, lead scientist on the study and a US professor of clinical psychiatry and epidemiology, said: "We don't know enough yet to suggest routine testing of pregnant mothers for CRP … however, exercising precautionary measures to prevent infections during pregnancy may be of considerable value."

Around one percent of children in England have an autistic spectrum disorder, with boys being much more likely to develop these conditions than girls.