SYNOPSIS
Two prenatal exposures—stress and maternal immune dysregulation—are associated with autism, probably in combination with other genetic and environmental risk factors.
TITLE
Prenatal stress, maternal immune dysregulation, and their association with autism spectrum disorders
Citation
Beversdorf DQ, Stevens HE, Jones KL. Current Psychiatry Reports. 2018;20:76.
Summary
Prenatal stress and disruption of a pregnant woman’s immune response (“maternal immune activation”) are two environmental factors associated with the increased incidence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the fact that, in many cases, these prenatal exposures do not result in ASD suggests an “interaction with multiple other risks.” Some evidence points to greater susceptibility to prenatal stress and maternal immune dysregulation in male offspring.