Study links maternal workplace exposure to autism spectrum disorder

A study published in the journal Occupational & Environmental Medicine has identified a potential link between maternal employment in roles involving exposure to toxic chemicals or high stress and an increased risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children. The research was conducted by a multi-institutional team including Johns Hopkins University, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Emory University, Drexel University, and Danish research institutions. The study analyzed data from 1,702 children diagnosed with ASD born in Denmark between 1973 and 2012. These cases were compared with a control group of 108,532 children without an ASD diagnosis, matched by gender and birth year. Maternal occupational history was gathered from the Danish Pension Fund Registry and categorized into seven groups. The research considered various confounding factors such as maternal age, history of neuropsychiatric disorders, smoking during pregnancy, and socioeconomic status. The study evaluated occupational exposure prior to conception, during pregnancy, and in early infancy.