Pregnancy is a very crucial experience to a woman because her and her baby’s health condition are at stake. At this specific stage of a mother’s life, various serious complications may possibly occur before labor, such as the development of autism spectrum disease (ASD) that affects 1 in 68 infants. This is the reason why both parents will do anything necessary to protect their baby. But autism risks can be prevented during pregnancy.
The definite cause of autism haven’t been totally determined since ASD may be manifested from a combination of factors but the most common diagnosis is the congenital aspect. Some studies have also shown that environment influence can harm the maternal state of a pregnant woman, but Dr. Paul Wang, a pediatric specialist for Autism Speaks mentioned that both elements continues to play a big role in a woman’s pregnancy.
Environment Impacts
Austism risks are reduced through taking of physical health. Physical exercise for a pregnant woman is required but exposure to air pollutants is inevitable, considering that it comes in many forms; vehicle exhaust, building emissions, second-hand smoking, dust, and chemicals found in plastic containers and in the surroundings, according to American Pregnancy Association, year 2017.
A worrisome study conducted by the Harvard University stated that women exposed to high particulate matter pollution during their third trimester have higher chance in delivering a child with autism, especially those who lived near a highway.
Corporeal Care
Another health factor that helps prevent autism risks is a healthy diet. The American College of Obstetrician and Gynecologist advocate proper diet for a pregnant woman. Aside from the obligatory intake of healthy, organic, and or fresh meals and the limit in processed foods, the avoidance to alcohol, smoking cigarettes, and other harmful vices because it also increases the higher risk of autism.
Safe Medication
Autism risks are critical by different medications. Researchers have found out that using antidepressants is associated with autism. Although, its relevance to the mother’s depression itself is still uncertain.
Another, a study made in the Journal of the American Association proclaimed that valproate, treatment for epilepsy and other neurological disorders, can increase the chance of a fetus developing ASD.
Among all the medicinal drugs, folic acid is mostly recommended by an obstetrician because iron is provital to fetal brain development.
By the year 2014, the American Journal of of Epidemiology discovered that children born to iron-deficient mothers have the higher risk of developing ASD. When the mother ages 35 and above, or has problems with weight, blood pressure, or sugar levels, the risk increases up to five times.
Age Gap Planning
Another study from the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry stated that pregnancies separated by the age gap of 2 and 5 years have the lower risk of developing autism. It was realized that children conceived after less than 12 months were 50 percent prone to autism.
Potential autism risks during pregnancy, especially the maternal problems that links to autism is important to be learned, even though there is no single factor that will directly lead to the cause of autism.
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