High levels of estrogen hormones in the womb could increase the risk of a foetus developing autism later suggests a study. The study was published in the journal 'Molecular Psychiatry'. In 2015 a team of scientists measured the levels of four prenatal steroid hormones including two known as androgens in the amniotic fluid in the womb and discovered that they were higher in male foetuses who later developed autism. Same scientists have built on their previous findings by testing the amniotic fluid samples from 98 individuals but this time looking at another set of prenatal sex steroid hormones called estrogens.