Fox News
Expand
Browse All Video
Watch Live

You're watching...

Obesity linked to autism?

Details

  • Description

    New study focuses on mother's weight during pregnancy

  • Duration 3:07
  • Date

Clips

Also in this playlist...

Editor's Picks

Auto-advance: ON

Auto-advance
View All

Transcript

This transcript is automatically generated

A brand new study is the first to link in mothers' weight during pregnancy to the chances of her child developing autism.

According to the journal pediatrics women who are obese during pregnancy.

Are about 67% more likely to have an autistic child doctor Marc Siegel is a member of the box in his medical eighteen he joins me now doctor -- great to see you good morning Allison ever since these alarming new autism numbers came out showing that one in every 88 children now has autism it seems like there -- a lot of new theories -- studies cropping up about what causes it.

What do you make of this study showing that a mother's obesity could.

Cause you know -- so we've been looking very carefully on what the effects on the mother are.

In terms of autism developing later and that seems to be the holy Grail here because what.

Women are exposed to when they are have children in the in the womb seems to lead to an increase whether it's risks in the environment.

This big study published in pediatrics today found that looking -- over a thousand kids that there's a 60%.

Increased risk of autism or autistic spectrum disorder in women that are obese and 34%.

Of women of childbearing years in this country are obese.

9% of diabetes there was an increased risk with diabetes and -- Chris -- -- with high blood pressure and and whopping risk.

-- obesity.

Of course the problem tickets that these findings -- we all know lots of moms who -- then who have autistic children.

That's true and we also don't know by the way even if this is real and that's what we call an observational study because it doesn't have a cause and effect.

It doesn't prove that being being obese causes.

Autism.

But that the the increase may be due to -- single hormone insulin it may be that when you're obese you need to make more -- -- insulin insulin is an inflammatory.

Marker in other words it causes the body to go to metabolic overdrive.

And it may increase your risk of autism a lot of -- there.

But we're concerned about this.

Does it suggest that there may be a host of things they can happen in utero.

It cause -- the things that I've heard recently.

Toxicity in environment.

Highway pollution household chemicals a -- obesity a father's age vaccines does it suggest that somehow a combination.

Of all of these things or one or the other could cause it.

Great point also know I want viewers out there to know that you've been doing a series of this on FOX & Friends incredible investigation the one word I would take out of there as vaccines.

I don't think there's any proof whatsoever and there's been multiple studies on this that actually vaccine exposure to women that a pregnant very important as we want -- when the pregnant of the flu vaccine.

And we really don't see scientifically -- now what is autism I wanna make sure viewers know what that is too.

To -- autism means the inability to relate socially to another child and repetitive behaviors.

There also tightening up that definition so we may actually there's a big controversy going on right now which is how.

Extensive what does it really is are -- over diagnosing -- always under -- -- but one thing's for sure it is a huge problem AS and of course it it's heartbreaking for parents and got to get to the bottom.

Does kick us earlier diagnosis the more you can intervene early and make -- different three point doctor Marc -- thanks for greatness and -- -- future.

Load More