OAKLAND, Calif., Dec. 24 (UPI) -- Hospital-diagnosed maternal bacterial infections during pregnancy are associated with an increased risk of autism spectrum disorders, U.S. researchers say.
Senior author Lisa A. Croen, a research scientist with the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research, said the study involved 407 children with autism and 2,075 matched children who did not have autism, which served as a control group. The study included infants born from January 1995 through June 1999 who remained members of the Kaiser Permanente health plan for at least two years following birth.