Question 1

do a lot of ultrasounds cause autism during pregnancy?

Accepted Answer

Not at all: Research at this point is pointing to genetic issues (encoding errors) that exist in the egg or sperm before conception as a main cause of autism &amp; associated disorders. Ultrasound has no effect on the formation of the fetus or incidence of autism.

Question 2

can having too many ultrasounds during pregnancy be linked to autism?

Accepted Answer

No!: Ultrasound has absolutely no relationship whatsoever with the development of autism.

Question 3

is citalopram during pregnancy linked to autism in children?

Accepted Answer

?: There seems to be major lawsuits against the maker of Celexa on-going (stating that citalopram use is associated with autism).  Frankly, I am not sure  how strong the causal link is (if any). I will be interested to see the studies behind this.

Question 4

can stress during pregnancy cause autism? what causes autism in babies

Accepted Answer

Doubt it/not clear: Advances in computer tech has led to an improved ability to study the human gene sequence. As they study autistic kids, they find many have mistakes in the gene code, like misprinted words on a page. The gene code, contained in the chromosomes at conception, tells the fetus how to form everything, include brain pathways affected by autism. It happens before conception. How is not clear.

Question 5

could drinking and smoking weed during pregnancy contribute to autism?

Accepted Answer

Maybe: Some of the toxins you inhale with every cigarette will enter your blood and travel thru the umbilical cord to baby.It is well documented that the newborn of a marijuana smoker will have a smaller skull volume ; the question of related learning problems has been difficult to sort out. Reliable data based on single agent exposure is not readily available.

Question 6

did extreme emotional stress during pregnancy cause birth defects or autism in the baby?

Accepted Answer

Not likely: No particular cause has been associated with autism but a combination of factors may contribute. Severe emotional stress during pregnancy however may result in factors that may contribute to poor maternal health with resultant low birth and prematurity. These in turn may contribute to factors that may negatively impact a baby cognitively.

Question 7

is it true that autism is preventable if omega-3 supplements are taken by women during pregnancy?

Accepted Answer

: The autism spectrum is composed of several different entities that have some overlapping clinical features. Research on the human genome has improved testing availability to the point where a large number of tiny errors in the gene information can be found in many patients with autism. Those errors are present prior to conception &amp; exist in all the body's cells. It would be nice but its not true.

Question 8

if my folate blood serum level is high (23 ng/ml), should i take a folate supplement during pregnancy? i read that high folate blood serum levels are linked to greater risk of a child being born with autism. please advise - worried mom-to-be. thanks?

Accepted Answer

: every woman of child bearing age should be supplementing with activated(5-methyl-folate)-it is actually folate deficiency in pregnant women that can result in neural tube defects in the baby.  There are some variants of the MTHFR gene that can lead to inefficient activation of folate and result in folic acid inhibiting the activation of folate. Worth getting checked if planning to get pregnant.

Question 9

i had covid during the first trimester at 9 weeks pregnant. im due in 6 weeks. i read an article that covid infection during pregnancy increases risks of autism, cerebral palsy, and other horrible things. is this true doctors? your expert opinion?

Accepted Answer

: There is still limited information on this topic. It is known that high fevers during the first trimester can cause fetal birth defects. One study showed a 2% pregnancy loss rate in hospitalized pregnant women with covid infection &amp; a very small percentage or preterm deliveries. A case of placental infection resulting in miscarriage has been reported.

Question 10

how can autism be diagnosed while pregnancy?

Accepted Answer

Confusing question: Are you referring to mom or baby ? If baby, there are some emerging studies that have detected patterns of genetic code alterations in autistic kids who have an affected sibling. These small insertions or deletions of genetic code may be amenable to prenatal diagnosis in a few years but would not pick up every case.At this point we are unable to define who  or why a kid will develop the pattern.

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Doctor answers about:

Can autism be detected during pregnancy

A member asked:

Do a lot of ultrasounds cause autism during pregnancy?

A member asked:

Can having too many ultrasounds during pregnancy be linked to autism?

A member asked:

Is citalopram during pregnancy linked to autism in children?

A member asked:

Can stress during pregnancy cause autism? what causes autism in babies

A member asked:

Could drinking and smoking weed during pregnancy contribute to autism?

A member asked:

Did extreme emotional stress during pregnancy cause birth defects or autism in the baby?

A member asked:

Is it true that autism is preventable if omega-3 supplements are taken by women during pregnancy?

A member asked:

If my folate blood serum level is high (23 ng/ml), should i take a folate supplement during pregnancy? i read that high folate blood serum levels are linked to greater risk of a child being born with autism. please advise - worried mom-to-be. thanks?

A member asked:

I had covid during the first trimester at 9 weeks pregnant. im due in 6 weeks. i read an article that covid infection during pregnancy increases risks of autism, cerebral palsy, and other horrible things. is this true doctors? your expert opinion?

A member asked:

How can autism be diagnosed while pregnancy?

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