Scientists discover 'critical' link between autism and a common infection READ MORE: The six tell-tale signs your child may have autism By Maiya Focht Health Reporter For Dailymail.Com Published: 14:00, 17 July 2024 | Updated: 14:10, 17 July 2024 e-mail 1 View comments A virus common in newborn babies may increase their risk of developing autism, a study suggests. By examining medical records of nearly 3million infants, researchers found those born with cytomegalovirus (CMV) were two-and-a-half times more likely to be diagnosed with autism in their lives than children without CMV.
This seemingly harmless cold-like bug affects roughly one in every 200 babies, and is the most common infection present at birth in the US. Yet doctors in the US don't currently screen for the common virus, which is passed from pregnant women to their fetus in the womb. CMV is the most common congenital, meaning present at birth, virus in the United States, affecting an estimated one in 200 births Though further research is needed, researchers believe the illness may cause inflammation in the fetus' brain that interrupts it's development, said Dr Megan Pesch, the study's lead author.
The pediatrician, at the University of Michigan , told DailyMail.com that her daughter was born with CMV and autism, despite appearing perfectly healthy at birth. She wants to raise awareness about the virus, so that screening during pregnancy might become more common in the US, as it is in other countries.
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