AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER (ASD)

Abnormal placentas may predict elevated risk for ASD (Brasic, 2013). An examination of placentas obtained from 17 births from a cohort of families who have one or more previous biological children with ASD found that placentas from at-risk pregnancies had an eightfold increased odd of having two or more trophoblast inclusion compared with control samples. The presence of two o more trophoblast inclusion (TIs) yielded a sensitivity of 41 % and a specificity of 92 % for predicting ASD risk statues, four or more TIs yielded a sensitivity of 19 % and specificity of 99 %. At risk placentas had as many as 15 placentas fold, whereas none of the control group placentas had more than 2 (Brauser, 2013). These differences are manifested histologically as TIs; their identification has the possibility of identifying newborns at risk for ASD who might benefit from targeted early interventions aimed at preventing or ameliorating behavioral symptoms and optimizing developmental outcomes (Walker, et al., 2013).

Bibliography

Brasic, R. (2013, July 1). Medscape. Retrieved from Autism : http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/912781-overview

Brauser, D. (2013, May 14). Medscape Medical News. Retrieved from Abnormal Placentas May Signal Autism Risk: www.medscape.com/viewarticle/803331

Walker, C., Anderson, K., Milano, K., Ye, S., Tancredi, D., Pessah, I., . . . Kliman, H. (2013). Trophoblast Inclusions AreSidnificantly in tha Placentas of Children in Families at Risk for Autism. Biol Psychiatriy, 74 (3):204-11.