14 DAY TRIAL // Investigators based at the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee say that would-be mothers who smoke during their pregnancy put their infants at higher risk of developing high-functioning autism spectrum disorders (ASD) after birth.
One of the most common conditions that result from this behavior is Asperger’s Syndrome, the team explains. These are the preliminary findings of a study that was carried out by researchers who are involved with conducting the US Autism Surveillance Program.
The latter is an initiative set forth by the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an organization that is concerned with the spreading influence of ASD in the general population. What is important for people to remember is that autism is a name given to a host of conditions.
It is currently estimated that nearly 13 percent of would-be mothers in the United States smoke, and continue to do so throughout their terms. This situation is very worrying, since it highlights a potential public health care issue. Nearly one sixth of the future generation is at risk of ASD.
In addition to elevating babies’ risk of autism spectrum disorders, smoking also incurs a host of other negative side effects on fetuses, effects that have been covered widely in previous investigations.
“It has long been known that autism is an umbrella term for a wide range of disorders that impair social and communication skills,” University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Joseph J. Zilber School of Public Health assistant professor, Amy Kalkbrenner, says.
“What we are seeing is that some disorders on the autism spectrum, more than others, may be influenced by a factor such as whether a mother smokes during pregnancy,” adds the expert, who is also the lead author of the new research.
Details of the work have been published in a recent issue of the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. The survey covered 633,989 kids, of which 3,315 were found to display ASD symptoms at age 8, PsychCentral reports.
“The study doesn’t say for certain that smoking is a risk factor for autism. But it does say that if there is an association, it’s between smoking and certain types of autism,” Kalkbrenner concludes.