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Prenatal body chemistry may play a role in autism development.
A recent study from the University of Cambridge and the State Serum Institute in Denmark revealed a possible link between high levels of estrogen hormones in the womb and the development of autism. Scientists were building off of previous studies in which they looked at four levels of prenatal steroid hormones in the amniotic fluid in the womb. Two of those levels were androgens, which were discovered to be higher in the male fetuses who developed autism.
The androgens were produced at much higher quantities in males, which helps provide evidence as to why autism occurs in males more often. In the most recent study, scientists looked at the same individuals from the previous study, but this time collected amniotic fluid samples. This time they looked at the prenatal sex steroid hormone known as estrogen.
All four possible estrogen levels were elevated in all the fetuses who later developed autism. The fetuses that did not have autism had significantly lower levels of estrogen. With this information, researchers need to see where these elevated hormones are coming from. They could be coming from the mother, the baby, or the placenta.
In addition to genetics, this study shows that prenatal sex steroid hormones could be one of the causes of autism. This study could be an interesting step in pinpointing exactly where autism could be stemming from. Research needs to continue to see if the same result is happening for autistic females.
