Motherhood obesity linked to children with Autism

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Was your mother obese when pregnant with you, fellow ASD folks?

Just saw it on the television news, did not have time to read these articles yet, so apologies if they are copies of each other.

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/04/0 ... disorders/

http://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/news/ ... utism-risk

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/ ... story.html

Oh, and I don't think my mother was obese when pregnant with me. I've seen pics of her right after her pregnancy with me, I think, and I think she looked pretty slim. However, she was on meds for treatment for depression when pregnant with me--they didn't think much of effects on the unborn from meds on the mother back then.

Actually, yes my mum was overweight while pregnant with me. By the time my brother was born she was obese.

My mother didn't become overweight before after my little sister was born. When she became pregnant with me she was quite skinny.

Must everything be related to Autism?

I was thinking this too.

When mum carried my brother (who also has Aspergers) she wasn't obese. No idea what she was like with me.

Nope

Ditto.

I'm sure this very well could be a factor, just like increased parental age, what with the rates of obesity and older parents being much higher nowadays, but I'm sick of all these "potential" causes. Saying everything is a cause of autism is just adding to hype and decreasing credibility of all this research.

My mother has been obese most of her life-
according to my dad's mother,
she starved herself down to a size 14 just before I was conceived,
but then of course the weight came back.

Last edited by ValentineWiggin on 09 Apr 2012, 7:45 am, edited 1 time in total.

Nothing was cited as a "potential cause".

The word "link" means a correlation.

While correlation does not mean causation, all of these studies' correlation results are hyped in the media to sound like causes. The layperson doesn't bother to hear "correlation." They jump right to thinking it's a cause. And honestly, in science, all significant correlations are hoped to be discovered as a true cause someday. If this weren't the case, why would correlations even be considered important?

Correlation, or clutching at straws? It always seems like the next study refutes the findings of the previous ones. The latest I've seen is that lapband surgery can cure type 2 diabetes better than diet and exercise. The studies they site never seem to have much time or even thought applied to their supposed findings. The media just runs with the health advice du jour until the next news cycle hits- no common sense need apply.

What crap, did they really resort to 'yo momma is fat' now?

My mam was a healthy weight, but she did drink and smoke (although not much) during the pregnancy. We're wondering if maybe she had Aspergers, but we don't know, because she gave me up for adoption quite early, and then I was fostered and adopted by my first memories. Although, it's also a possibility that my dad had Aspergers too. We just don't know, but mine is more likely hereditary than due to jabs or weight or any of this other stuff.

If there's so many correlation and causes of Autism then why isn't Autism more common?

My mom was probably slightly overweight, like 26BMI kinda thing. She was older, though, I think about 35? They were linking that, but then they also linked older fathers to it, too, so wtfever, screw you linking stuff.

Interestingly, I was the first child, and my mom ate healthiest with me, almost no junkfood, she tried specifically to eat the healthiest and best with me. And for all that effort, I came out the odd one.