Maternal Factors and Autism Risk

True (A)

Perchlorate

<p>thyroid</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Blue 1 = Potentially harmful to children with ADHD Perchlorate = Disrupts thyroid hormone production Iodine deficiency = Risks of cognitive deficits in pregnancy Artificial sweeteners = Alter flavor preferences and foster sugar dependence</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Gestational diabetes (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Predictors of brain injury and ASD development</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>steroid</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Maternal prepregnancy obesity = Increased risk of ASD Pregestational diabetes mellitus = Increased brain inflammation High prenatal testosterone levels = Slower social development Inflammatory cytokines = Brain injury predictors</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Cambridge Study (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>They are implicated in fetal brain inflammation.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Elevated prenatal steroid hormone levels (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>15–16 weeks of gestation</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>aspartame</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Emulsifiers and artificial sweeteners (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Emulsifiers = Increased GDM risk Artificial sweeteners = Altered food reward pathways Natural sugars = Suppress hypothalamic signals Sucralose = No suppression of signals</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Maternal and offspring health (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Mesolimbic dopamine system</p> Signup and view all the answers

Artificial sweeteners trigger taste receptors but don't satisfy the body's metabolic need for sugar, which can lead to sugar cravings and altered preferences for sweet flavors.

The incomplete satisfaction from artificial sweeteners can contribute to overeating and obesity.

Some studies suggest that removing food additives from a child's diet may improve symptoms of ADHD.

Perchlorate, found in water or fertilizers, disrupts the thyroid's ability to use iodine, which is essential for producing thyroid hormones.

Perchlorate exposure is especially harmful to pregnant women, particularly those with iodine deficiency, as their unborn babies depend entirely on maternal thyroid hormones in the early stages of development.

Higher levels of certain steroid hormones in males may contribute to the higher prevalence of autism in males compared to females, although not all studies show this consistently.

Elevated levels of steroid hormones during pregnancy are early biomarkers potentially linked to autism.

A medical procedure used to collect amniotic fluid to measure substances, including hormone levels, during pregnancy.

These additives in food are linked to potential health risks during pregnancy, including gestational complications and offspring health.

A type of diabetes that develops during pregnancy.

A condition where a baby is larger than average for its gestational age.

The brain mechanisms that regulate our desire for food, involving both pleasure and metabolic signals.

Maternal obesity during pregnancy increases the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children, particularly when combined with pre-existing diabetes.

Proteins that trigger inflammation, increased in obese pregnant women, affecting fetal brain development.

Inflammation within the womb, caused by maternal conditions like diabetes, is linked to brain injury and potential ASD development.

High blood sugar in pregnant women can cause inflammation inside the womb, contributing to a pro-inflammatory environment, and possibly raising autism risk.

Elevated levels of certain hormones—testosterone, progesterone, etc.—in the womb are linked to autistic traits like delayed social and language development.

Higher levels of prenatal testosterone in males correlate with certain developmental traits linked to autism, like a focus on details rather than social interactions.

Studies on maternal obesity and autism risk in the US may not fully apply to the UK due to differences in food ingredients and other factors.

The study on prenatal hormones and autism is only applicable to men; outcomes from this study cannot be applied to female pregnancies.