Prenatal Androgen Exposure and Traits of Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Offspring: Odense Child Cohort.
Camilla V B PalmDorte GlintborgLaura G FindPia V LarsenCilia M DalgaardHenriette BoyeTina K JensenAnja F DreyerMarianne S AndersenNiels BilenbergPublished in: Journal of autism and developmental disorders (2022)
Fetal androgen exposure may be associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We studied 1777 mother-child pairs in the prospective Odense Child Cohort. Prenatal androgen exposure was assessed by maternal 3rd trimester testosterone concentrations, maternal polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and 3 months offspring anogenital distance. ASD traits were assessed at age 3 years with the ASD-symptom scale of the Child Behavior Checklist for ages 1½-5 years. Maternal testosterone was positively associated with traits of ASD in boys (p < 0.05). Maternal PCOS was associated with increased offspring ASD traits (p = 0.046), but became non-significant after excluding parental psychiatric diagnosis. Offspring anogenital distance was not linked to ASD traits. Higher prevalence of ASD in boys could be linked to higher susceptibility to fetal androgen exposure.
Keyphrases
- autism spectrum disorder
- polycystic ovary syndrome
- attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
- intellectual disability
- mental health
- high fat diet
- genome wide
- pregnancy outcomes
- birth weight
- insulin resistance
- pregnant women
- gene expression
- risk factors
- type diabetes
- replacement therapy
- dna methylation
- metabolic syndrome
- body mass index
- skeletal muscle
- physical activity
- weight loss