Fever during pregnancy, can it cause autism in children?

During pregnancy, there must be many changes that occur in the mother's body. Starting from dizziness, nausea, vomiting, breast pain, weight gain, back pain, and others. So, what if you have a fever? Is that normal? Recent research shows you should be aware of the incidence of fever during pregnancy, while some say that fever during pregnancy can cause a child to be born with autism. Is it true?

What does the latest research say?

Reporting from Medical News Today, mothers who have a fever during pregnancy have a greater risk of having children with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or what is often referred to as autism spectrum disorder.

Research conducted in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders in 2013 shows that fever during pregnancy in the third trimester is associated with an increased risk of a child developing ASD.

Another recent study published in the 2017 Journal of Molecular Psychiatry highlights a similar link. The difference is in the trimester. This study suggests that fever during the first and second trimesters of pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of ASD. The strongest association occurs with fever in the second trimester.

The incidence of fever during pregnancy is reported to increase the risk of ASD by 34 percent in the child it is carrying. The incidence of fever in pregnant women during the second trimester can increase the chances of developing ASD by as much as 40 percent. Meanwhile, fever attacks that occur more than three times after the 12th week of pregnancy can increase the risk of developing ASD by up to three times.

Fever is a symptom that occurs when the body is fighting an infection. That means when the mother has a fever, the body is experiencing a viral or bacterial infection from outside, and the immune system is trying to fight it.

When the mother is fighting an infection, the amniotic fluid and blood will contain cells called inflammatory cytokines that are higher than usual.

What does infection have to do with the possibility of autism?

Experts believe that ASD is caused not only from genetic factors, but also from environmental factors. Such as viral infections, pollution, and complications in pregnancy. The occurrence of infection in the mother's body is thought to also increase the risk of developing ASD.

When it comes to infection, this cannot be separated from the immune condition. The role of the mother's immune system is very important in fighting infection. Researchers suspect that the mother's immune response can affect nerve and brain development before the baby is born.

Why is a fever during the second trimester of pregnancy more likely to cause autism?

It is not clear what causes fever in the second trimester to increase the risk of ASD. However, it is true that the second trimester is the main time for brain development. At this time too, the mother's immune system tends to decline so that the mother's body does not reject the massive fetal development process.

These vulnerable conditions in the second trimester can make fetal development disorders more likely.

So, a fever during pregnancy can cause a child to be born with autism?

Maybe this finding is very frightening for some pregnant women or women who are looking forward to pregnancy. However, according to a professor from the Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University, this risk is relatively small. The likelihood of ASD or autism occurring alone is around 1 in 88 births.

Although research shows fever during pregnancy can increase the risk of autism, it does not mean that all pregnant women who have had a fever will have a child with ASD. The results of these studies are not fixed.

In fact, there are thousands of women who have a cold or flu during their pregnancy, but have no children with ASD. These studies have only shown a link, so they cannot explain the cause and effect relationship.

Whether fever causes ASD is not clearly proven. Although numerically in the study those with fever had a higher likelihood of risk for ASD. Autism and similar developmental disorders are influenced by many interrelated and complex factors, not one single reason.