Prenatal test for autism may be developed around male hormone link

From The Daily Mail in the UK. The story has an interesting sidebar about famous people both currently and historically with autism and other disabilities.

Scientists found a clear link in both tests between higher testosterone levels when the child was in the womb and autistic traits.

Babies exposed to high levels of testosterone in the womb have a higher risk of developing autistic traits, research has revealed.

The link to the male hormone could provide a way to test unborn babies for the condition and has added a new dimension to the debate about the ethics of screening.

The research suggests than abnormally high levels of testosterone in the womb could be one of the triggers for autistic traits to develop up to ten years later.

Professor Simon Baron-Cohen, one of the world’s leading experts on autism, measured the level of testosterone in the amniotic fluid of 235 pregnant women.

Their children were later given a series of tests. When they reached eight their mothers filled in questionnaires designed to pick up autistic traits. These included whether the child preferred solitary or social activities and if he or she was good at remembering telephone numbers and number plates.

Those who had been exposed to higher concentrations of the male hormone
had higher scores, and high exposure accounted for 20 per cent of the variability in measures of autistic traits. The findings were published yesterday in the British Journal of Psychology.

Prof Baron-Cohen, of Cambridge University, said the children did not have a diagnosis of autism but the research had found a correlation between testosterone produced by the unborn babies and the number of traits displayed.

He said the research looked at causal factors which meant it was a long way from a screening test.

But he added: ‘Our ongoing collaboration with the Biobank in Denmark will enable us to test that link in the future.’ The prospect of pre-natal testing raised concerns that it could lead to parents feeling pressured to terminate an affected pregnancy.

A spokesman from Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales said: ‘The debate prompted by the possibility of genetic testing for autism in the womb needs to be channelled creatively.

‘What our society is contemplating are the first steps of a truly revolutionary and inhuman path.

‘The only way out is to rediscover the fundamental dignity and value of every human life from its first beginnings.

‘Without this firm moral bedrock, we are in grave danger of sliding inexorably towards a new eugenics.’

A National Autistic Society spokesman said: ‘Screening to identify autism at an early stage has the potential to radically improve the quality of life if the right environment, education and support can be put in place as soon as possible.

‘However, it is crucial that early screening or testing for autism does not lead to increased stigmatisation or discrimination.

‘Many people with autism and their families are understandably worried about the impact genetic or pre-natal testing may have on their lives and on public perception of the condition in the future.’

Autism is an umbrella term for a range of developmental disorders that have a lifelong effect on someone’s ability to interact socially and communicate. Related problems – autism spectrum disorders such as Asperger’s syndrome – also result in special teaching needs.

Such disorders are thought to affect around one in 100 children, although British researchers last year said the true rate is far higher.