Abstract
Introduction:
The connection between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and maternal asthma has drawn researchers’ interest. The connection between maternal asthma exacerbation and the development of ASD in offspring remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between maternal asthma, including asthma exacerbation during pregnancy, and the risk of ASD in offspring.
Methods:
Information from over two million mothers and their live newborns, collected from the Taiwan Birth Certificate Registry spanning from January 1, 2004, to December 31, 2017, was utilized in this nationwide cohort study based on the population. The Cox regression model was employed to assess the risk of ASD in children between mothers with and without asthma. The analysis adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics, parity, birth weight, and parents’ physical and mental illnesses. Sibling control was implemented to investigate the impact of asthma exacerbation during pregnancy on the risk of offspring ASD.
Result:
Children with asthmatic parents face a significantly higher risk of developing ASD compared to those with non-asthmatic parents. Maternal asthma had an HR of 1.44 ( 95% confidence interval of 1.34 to 1.55), while paternal asthma had an HR of 1.12 ( 95% confidence interval of 1.03 to 1.22). Interestingly, acute asthma exacerbations during pregnancy didn't seem to affect the likelihood of having more ASD children in a distinctive way (Adjusted HR 1.23, 95% CI: 0.68–2.24).
Conclusion:
Offspring born to parents with asthma face an elevated risk of having ASD, with a higher risk associated maternal asthma. There was no obvious correlation between mother asthma exacerbations during pregnancy and the likelihood of ASD in the offspring.