Do Excessive Prenatal Androgen Levels Promote Autism?

Offspring of mothers with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) had elevated rates of autism, perhaps due to the high levels of circulating maternal androgens.

Several factors point to the role of androgens in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), including higher prevalence of ASD in males than females and abnormal development of prenatal testosterone pathways (NEJM JW Psychiatry Aug 2014 and Mol Psychiatry 2015; 20:369). Also, females with ASD have masculine features, including high androgen blood levels, male-type brain size, and brain-hemisphere asymmetries. Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have higher androgen levels — might their offspring be at higher risk of ASD? To test this hypothesis, researchers analyzed Swedish registry data on 23,748 children with ASD and 208,796 controls (aged 4–17).

Diagnoses of maternal PCOS were also registry-based. Analyses controlled for multiple ASD risk…

Reviewing Author

Barbara Geller, MD

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose

Barbara Geller, MD

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose

Do Excessive Prenatal Androgen Levels Promote Autism?

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Reviewing Author