Antenatal ultrasound and autism

Many factors have been suggested as causes for the apparent rise in prevalence of autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). Perhaps most terrifying for pregnant women is the suggestion that antenatal (AN) ultrasound may be harmful to the developing brain. There is some theoretical justification for this: high-energy sound waves have been shown to cause neuronal disruption in mouse models.

When early safety studies were done in the 1990s, the results were reassuring. But since then, more frequent and higher-energy scans have become the norm, which might increase risk. A retrospective case-control study from Boston, USA, produced apparently contradictory results, and much controversy (Rosman NP et al doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2017.5634) They identified 107 children with paediatrician-diagnosed ASD born between 2006 and 2014 and and two matched comparison groups: one of 104 with non-ASD developmental delay, and another of 2019 with normal development. They had detailed data on all AN scans. There were no...

from Archives of Disease in Childhood current issue https://ift.tt/2MqEHb8