A new study from researchers at the University of California, Davis has revealed that children born to obese or very overweight mothers are often far more likely to develop autism.
For the study, researchers reviewed data collected about children as part of the Childhood Autism Risks from Genetics and the Environment study between 2003 and 2010. The examined 500 autistic kids between the ages of 2 and 5, 170 kids with other forms of developmental disabilities and 315 children without any known disability.
The research team found that children born to obese mothers were about 67 percent more likely to develop autism than children born to mothers of a healthy weight.
"The odds of autism and other developmental delays were significantly higher in the children of moms who were obese versus those who weren't," said lead study author Paula Krakowiak.
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