Granddaughters of women who smoked during pregnancy had 53% increased risk of ASD
by MedPage Today Staff
April 27, 2017
Increased risk for autism may be associated with maternal grandmothers’ smoking habits, ScienceDaily reported.
Published in Scientific Reports, an ongoing study of 14,500 offspring reported a 53% increased risk of diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) if the offspring’s maternal grandmother smoked during pregnancy. Similarly, granddaughters experienced a 67% increased risk of displaying traits associated with autism, like sensory sensitivities or poor social communication, if her maternal grandmother smoked during pregnancy.
The researchers suggest these findings may be due to damage of the DNA of mitochondria from cigarette smoke, or potentially due to the effect that cigarette smoke has on developing eggs of the fetus while in utero.