Autism Awareness Month 2016: Can Short Gap Pregnancy Cause Autism?

Dr. Agustin Conde-Agudelo, the study author of the World Health Organization Collaborating Center in Human Reproduction at the University of Valle in Cali, Colombia made such a conclusion in their investigation of a current registry of almost 1.1 million children, according to CBS News.

"Based on the current best available evidence, it appears that the ideal interpregnancy interval -- the time elapsed between the birth of the immediate older sibling and the conception of the younger sibling -- is 2 to 5 years, in order to reduce the risk of autism," Conde-Agudelo stated.

The researcher made it concrete that they could give no justification as to why leaving a brief gap between having children increases the risk, only that their seems to be a close involvement. However their study have also made them consider factors such as nutrition to play a major role.

"The reasons for the association between short interpregnancy intervals and autism and other neurodevelopmental disabilities are unknown."

Centers for Disease and Prevention reported that an estimated number of 1 in 68 children are afflicted with the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in various areas of the United States.  Prior to this assessed health archive, 1 in 88 children with the age of 11.3 per 1,000 eight year olds were ascertained to suffer from autism spectrum disorder.

A child prior to the age of 3 will have noticeable peculiarities such as obstacles in socializing and communicating. The child will also show movement disorder in which he or she repeats certain patterns of activities.

These pronouncements were also triggered by the supposition that folic acid deficiency rises during short birth pregnancy spacing. The B vitamin helps in the building and repair of DNA and the production of red blood cells which are important for fetal development.