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Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with dysfunction in γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and bumetanide, a diuretic and antiepileptic that increases GABA inhibition and lowers intracellular chloride, has improved behaviors in children with ASD (NEJM JW Psychiatry Dec 21 2012). The current investigators, several with interests in or employment at a firm with a patent application for bumetanide, hypothesized its ability to prenatally prevent ASD and examined its effect in rats with valproate-induced autism-like behaviors and mice with the fragile X mutation (a model of fragile X syndrome). These animals do not show the normal rodent switch at birth from GABA excitation to inhibition and the precipitating switch from high to low intracellu…