Researchers Claim 100% Accuracy Predicting Autism Risk Factors in Mom's Blood
29 JANUARY 2021
For nearly one in five children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the origins of their distinct mix of behavioural characteristics can be traced back to an attack carried out by their mother's immune system on their developing brain.
With help from a program designed to hunt for subtle patterns hidden in complex mixes of data, researchers have come up with a test for the antibodies responsible for the misguided assault, allowing them to predict the risk of a child being born with autism with unprecedented confidence.
Scientists from the University of California, Davis, and Stanford University in the US analysed plasma taken from 450 mothers with children diagnosed with ASD, and from 342 mothers who had children without a diagnosis.