Maternal Autistic Traits and Adverse Birth Outcomes

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Health
• Neurodevelopmental Disorders
• Perinatal Epidemiology

Background:

• Women with high autistic traits may face greater pregnancy health disparities.
• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis can be associated with increased adverse birth outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between maternal autistic traits and adverse birth outcomes in the general population.
• To determine if higher levels of autistic traits correlate with risks of preterm birth and small for gestational age (SGA) neonates.

Main Methods:

• A prospective cohort study of 87,687 mothers from the Japan Environmental Children's Study.
• Maternal autistic traits assessed using the Autism-Spectrum Quotient Japanese version (AQ-J10) during pregnancy.
• Adverse birth outcomes, including preterm birth and SGA, extracted from medical records.

Main Results:

• Higher maternal autistic traits (AQ-J10 scores) were associated with increased risks of preterm birth, moderate-to-late preterm birth, very preterm birth, and SGA neonates.
• Women with AQ-J10 scores in the clinical range (≥7) showed significantly elevated risks for all studied adverse birth outcomes compared to those below the clinical range.
• A 1-SD increase in AQ-J10 score correlated with a 6% increased risk of preterm birth and a 4% increased risk of SGA neonates.

Conclusions:

• Elevated maternal autistic traits are associated with a higher risk of adverse birth outcomes, notably very preterm birth.
• Antenatal care should acknowledge and support pregnant women with high autistic traits, particularly those in the clinical range, irrespective of formal ASD diagnosis.
• Tailored, timely antenatal support is crucial for improving pregnancy outcomes in this population.