Difficult birth and autism?

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This is from aspergersfoundation.org/uk.

Tell me what you think.


Some studies state that quite a high percentage of cases had a history of natal conditions that might have caused damage. But, in general, pregnancy may well have been unremarkable. However, the incidence of obstetric abnormalities is high. No one factor can be identified, but labour crises and neonatal problems are recorded with a significant number of children with AS. There is also a greater incidence of babies who are small for gestational age, and mothers in the older age range. It is recognised that there are three principal causes of Asperger's Syndrome - genetic factors, unfavourable genetic events, and infections during pregnancy or early infancy that affect the brain.

Do you think there might be a correlation? Did you have a difficult birth, or know somebody who did? I actually do know two cases who are on the spectrum who had a horrendous birth, while their normal siblings did not. I'm NOT saying this is what's going on for sure, or there's even a correlation- I didn't do a study. This is just an observation. I think it deserves more attention.

It would seem reasonable. Increasingly it is looking like the root cause of autism is a synergistic coupling of genetics and environment. It seems like a genetic predisposition to autism must exist that is then activated by some neurological insult. Whether in utero stress is required isn't clear, but it does seem that the roots of it are very early in development.

This does not bode well for an absolute cure or specific genetic tests. Even if specific genes can be identified, if the expression of autism can be prevented through pre-natal and neo-natal care, a genetic 'cure' (gene therapy or whatever), especially applied to the fetus, becomes harder to justify. What do those genes express in the absence of the neurological insults that produce autism? Presumably, a normal neurology. If a pathway to "normal" exists for an autistically predisposed embryo, aborting that embryo becomes ethically more untenable, as does altering the genetics in utero.

I had a stressful birth. The cord was strangling me and I was put in an incubator. I would believe that birth problems can be a cause.

I also had a traumatic birth. The cord was wrapped around my neck, strangling me. I know my mom had some condition while she was pregnant that meant she had to pretty much stay in bed I think the last month or two, but I don't remember what it was called. I think it might have had something to do with high blood pressure. I was also rather small for a full term baby, 6lbs, 6oz.

I think I had "bad birth", nearly choke to the thing I don't know by name and so on..

On the other hand my brother had "normal" birth and he is "normal".

I came out a month early, weighing 3 pounds and my mother was 35 years old. It seems to increase the risk of autism spectrum disorders.

My mum had no birth problems with me at all. Yet I still came out as Autistic. But I think the reason why I was Autistic is because whichever god is up there doesn't want me or my mum to be happy, so it cursed me with this awful disability and cursed my mum with having to had bring up a child with a disability (and my mum suffers from an anxiety disorder).

I know a 41-year-old who is about to give birth, but has to have a caesarean, because the baby is laying wrong and won't come out, and it's 3 weeks late. I wonder if this poor baby will be born Autistic or something else unlucky. A part of me is actually hoping it will be, because why should I be cursed with the s**t and had a normal easy birth, but a middle-aged woman (who is more at risk of having a handicapped child at her age) can have a NORMAL child, also having a few birth delays and birth problems????

Had to do an emergency C-section with me. umbilical cord was wraped around my neck four times and choking me, and I was comming out the wrong way. I was also quite late. I don't know how it happened, perhaps the doctor didn't predict the right day. Also in NICU for awhile.

EDIT: I actually died, they just brought me back to life.

My mom always said I was a strange baby.

I had an uneventful pregnancy, had not taken any medications for more than a year before getting pregnant and had a drug free, invasive intervention free birth without complications. My daughter was born normal weight and length and had an Apgar of 9. She is an Aspie.

My mother had a horrible pregnancy - she handled the increased hormones quite poorly and was sick all 9 months. I was born breech with the cord around my neck twice. I was normal weight and length but I did have a egg shaped hematoma on the top of my head which is relatively common (especially in redheads) and resolved itself in childhood. I suspect I'm an Aspie.

The cord around the neck cannot technically 'strangle' a baby as long as there is no kink in the umbilical cord. The baby still gets oxygen from the cord for up to an hour after birth as long as the cord is uncut. There is a wide misconception that babies need to use their lungs immediately - it is a reflex that the baby try to use it's lungs when its face hits the air - but the cord keeps supplying oxygen rich blood until the little bugger gets the hang of using those new lungs outside his water filled bubble. The only way a baby can suffocate during birth is if the cord is somehow blocked, kinked, damaged or cut prematurely.

I was a late baby, and had to be induced. I was a breach birth. They ended up using forceps on me. My mother also had a huge blood loss during my birth.

I had a difficult birth like a lot of you here. I had the umbilical cord wrapped around my neck as well. My mom had a c-section done. If I dropped in a normal birth, then I could have been choked.