Pre-eclampsia and the risk of autism-spectrum disorder in offspring: meta-analysis

Abstract

BackgroundEvidence about the effect of intrauterine exposure to pre-eclampsia on offspring autism-spectrum disorder (ASD) is not well established.AimsTo examine the association between pre-eclampsia and ASD.MethodPubMed, Embase and PsycINFO databases were searched. Pooled relative risks (RR) with 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were performed. Heterogeneity was assessed using Cochran'sQ- and theI2−test. The presence of publication bias was evaluated by Egger's test and visual inspection of the symmetry in funnel plots.ResultsTen studies meet the inclusion criteria. The risk of ASD was 32% higher in offspring who had intrauterine exposure to pre-eclampsia compared with those not exposed (RR = 1.32, 95% CI 1.20–1.45). Sensitivity analysis revealed consistent pooled estimates ranging from RR = 1.30 (95% CI 1.17–1.44) to RR = 1.37 (95% CI 1.26–1.48). We found no significant heterogeneity and evidence of publication bias.ConclusionPre-eclampsia increased the risk of ASD in offspring. The finding suggests a need for early screening for ASD in offspring of women with pre-eclampsia.Declaration of interestNone.