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Stockholm. The mother’s health and immune system during pregnancy play a decisive role in the neurological and physical development of the baby in the womb. A comprehensive and long-term study conducted by researchers at Sweden’s prestigious Karolinska Institutet has concluded that children of mothers exposed to serious and rare infections during pregnancy have a Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) The risk of developing approximately Three-Fold Risk Can increase up to.
This research, based on national health registries of millions of babies and mothers, has drawn medical attention to how severe inflammation and immune activation during pregnancy can affect the delicate neurodevelopmental path of the fetus. The study focused specifically on rare infections that required hospitalization or intensive medical care in pregnant women.
Swedish researchers, after analyzing extensive data spanning several decades, found that severe, uncontrolled or rare infectious conditions have a more sensitive impact than the common seasonal cold:
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Triple risk: Children of pregnant women who suffered serious bacterial or viral rare infections during pregnancy were nearly three times as likely to receive a clinical diagnosis of autism compared to the general population.
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Cases requiring hospitalization: The study found that the risk was especially highest when the infection was so severe that the woman had to receive intravenous (IV) antibiotics, antiviral drugs or be kept under special observation in the hospital.
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Time of Infection (Trimester Sensitivity): The effects of infection were seen to be most sensitive during the first and second trimesters, because it is during this time period that the primary formation of neuronal structures, synaptic connections, and cortical layers of the fetal brain occurs.
Researchers have clarified that in most cases it is not necessary that a virus or bacteria crosses the placenta and reaches the baby’s brain directly. The main role behind this is the mother’s own immune system:
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Maternal Immune Activation (MIA): When the mother’s body fights a serious or unusual infection, large amounts of inflammatory chemicals (Pro-inflammatory Cytokines such as IL-6, IL-17a and TNF-alpha) are released into the bloodstream.
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Placental Barrier and the Fetal Brain: Excessive cytokine storm can sometimes reach the fetal circulatory system through the placenta. It activates microglia (immune cells of the brain) in the fetal brain, which can cause subtle changes in the natural development and communication patterns of neurons.
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Susceptibility to rare infections: Rare or unusual pathogens trigger a more aggressive and uncontrolled immune response in the body, causing high inflammation over a long period of time.
Medical experts and researchers have also cautioned pregnant women that the results of this study should not be viewed with fear or panic:
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Relative Risk vs. Absolute Risk: Researchers say that three times the risk is a ‘relative risk’. This does not at all mean that the child of every woman suffering from severe infection during pregnancy will be a victim of autism. Autism is a multifactorial condition in which genetics play a major role, 60 to 80 percent of the time.
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Different from common infections: Common flu, mild urinary tract infection (UTI) or seasonal cold that are treated timely do not usually fall into this category. The focus of the study was on untreated, complicated or rare systemic infections.
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Prevention and timely treatment: If a pregnant woman experiences high fever, persistent chills, or any unusual infection, she should immediately contact a doctor and receive antibiotic or antiviral treatment. Controlling fever and infection leads to a rapid reduction in cytokine levels, thereby reducing the risk to the fetus to a great extent.
Regular antenatal care, timely vaccination and immediate medical advice at any sign of infection during pregnancy are the strongest safeguards for the long-term health of both the mother and the baby.