Mothers with symptoms of PCOS are more likely to have an autistic baby

While it is difficult to say if high levels of testosterone impact fetal brain development but it increases the likelihood of having an autistic child

By: Debjani Arora | | Published: August 2, 2018 5:23 pm

The challenges of living and dealing with PCOS are aplenty. Women who suffer from this condition have to go through a lot right from adolescence – deal with painful periods, irregular periods, heavy flow, absence of periods and with time they also face issues of fertility that can hamper conception when they plan a pregnancy. High levels of androgens or male sex hormones in women suffering from PCOS lead to annovulation (absence of release of egg every month) that makes conception particularly difficult. However, women with PCOS can get pregnant with help of either medication or some lifestyle changes. The challenge next is to ensure a smooth and successful pregnancy. Since PCOS leads to insulin resistance, a high level of sugar in the blood was thought to be dangerous for the fetus. This is why women with PCOS are asked to keep a watch on their weight and diet during pregnancy. Also Read - Avoid first trimester complications with our pregnancy tips

However, despite all the precautions they take and even if labour and delivery happen without any complications, researchers have now come up with new information that could be a total dampener for expectant mothers who suffer from PCOS. A new study claims that women with symptoms of PCOS are more likely to have an autistic baby. One aspect of the study suggests that elevated levels of androgens – steroid hormones that contribute to male sexual characteristics – produced by the mother play a large role. Also Read - Avoid second trimester complications with our pregnancy tips

The study published in Translational Psychiatry were drawn from an analysis of medical records from more than 26,000 UK women diagnosed with PCOS symptoms stating that mothers suffering from this condition were more likely to have children with ASD. The study concluded that testosterone had an impact in fetal brain development. In fact, children born to women with PCOS were 35 per cent more likely to have autism. The study concluded that PCOS can have a variety of different effects on the body and it is too soon to say that steroid hormones alone are responsible for altering a fetal brain; however, it definitely does increase the likelihood of suffering from autism in babies born to mothers who have symptoms of PCOS. Also Read - Common pregnancy complications that can occur in your third trimester

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Published : August 2, 2018 5:23 pm

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