How To Detect Autism During Pregnancy?

With the advancement of technology, prenatal testing has improved today. The improvement in prenatal testing presents a host of thorny issues, including what to test, how to interpret the results and what to do about them.

An ultrasound scan during pregnancy depicts a clear picture of the developing foetus and studies suggest that the early signs of autism can be identified in an ultrasound scan.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that begins in the first few years after birth.

Those with mild ASD are fully functional in their daily lives. While, having severe forms of ASD may require ongoing care and support for the entire lives.

Detection of Autism During Pregnancy

According to research, children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may have more rapidly growing brains and bodies at the beginning of the second trimester than children without the disorder. This leaves a clue for the doctors to detect the disorder.

Studies have also found that children with autism show key “patches of disorganisation” in the outer layers of the brain.

Besides, experts believe that autism involves disruptions in typical brain development of the foetus. This study has been reported in the New England Journal of Medicine and offers more direct evidence of such early origins.

The results of a retrospective study has shown that having an ultrasound in the second trimester identifies ASD at three times higher rate than in typically developing foetuses.

Researchers have examined data from hundreds of prenatal ultrasound scans from the foetal anatomy survey conducted during the second trimester.

They found anomalies in the kidneys, heart and head in 30% of foetuses who later developed ASD.

These results shed important light on the abnormal multiorgan embryonic development of autism.

Doctors can use these signs detected during a routine ultrasound to evaluate whether the child would be born with ASD. Diagnosis through an ultrasound could also mean starting treatment from birth instead of waiting until age two or even later.

An ultrasound is a way to study abnormal foetal development as it is frequently used to monitor the growth of the developing baby and identify  foetal anomalies (if any) throughout pregnancy.

According to the Azrieli National Centre for Autism and Neurodevelopment Research, the early diagnosis of autism through an ultrasound and its treatment can significantly increase social ability in autistic children.

French scientists at the University of Limoges have recently developed a computer program. This program uses foetal characteristics to predict if a child would be diagnosed with autism after birth.

The scientists followed a large group of expectant mothers at the University of Limoges hospital through their pregnancy. During the pregnancies, the women had ultrasound scans.

The scientists kept track of the children’s health for several years and documented which children were later diagnosed with autism. This proves that autism can be detected during pregnancy with the help of an ultrasound.

The early diagnosis would enable parents (of autistic children) to begin communication, social, and sensory therapies that are crucial to the child’s development.

Research and studies are still ongoing regarding detection of autism during pregnancy. There’s nothing expecting mums can do to prevent having a child with this disorder. However, they can take certain measures to increase the possibility of having a healthy baby.

Scans to detect foetal defects have been routinely done since December 2008 in the Lothians, a region of the Scottish Lowlands. The researchers examined these scans for 40 children who were later diagnosed with ASD.

Dr. Walter Kaufmann, a neurologist at Boston Children’s Hospital has rightly argued, “The foundation for this would likely be prenatal.”

Hence, a routine ultrasound scan can help detect autism during pregnancy.

It is advisable to quit smoking before pregnancy and avoid alcohol and drugs. If you are diagnosed with celiac disease or PKU, it is advisable to follow your doctor’s advice for keeping them under control.