Exploring Health Care Needs of Children

Autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, during pregnancy may increase the risk of a child having autism spectrum disorder. ASDs are developmental disorders that can impair a child's social skills and ability to communicate with others. Family history also seems to play a role.

While maternal autoimmune disorder may put a child at higher risk for autism, the relationship is still unclear. That means there is no way to predict for certain if a child will have autism. But if your child's pediatrician suspects autism, let the doctor know you had arthritis or another autoimmune disease when you were pregnant.

Autoimmune Disease

Although autism seems to run in families, just because you have an autoimmune disease doesn't mean your child has autism. There are other disorders that have symptoms similar to autism. Despite research that suggests a connection between maternal autoimmune disease and autism, most women with an autoimmune condition give birth to children who don't develop autism.

Genetics

The American Academy of Pediatrics reports studies show a link between mothers who have rheumatoid arthritis and children diagnosed with autism. Studies also indicate that children with a family history of celiac disease and type 1 diabetes are at increased risk for autism. Yet that doesn't mean genetics alone is responsible.

Nor does it mean that a mother's autoimmune disease causes autism. Although prenatal exposure to certain antibodies in mothers of children with autism may be a contributing factor, multiple factors likely cause the disorder.

Autoantibodies

During pregnancy, certain antibodies, or immune proteins, can cross the placenta. While many of these antibodies help protect an unborn baby, not all serve protective roles. Autoantibodies can cause changes in the brain of the fetus, which may impact a child's development and behavior in the future.

Although autoimmune disorders likely aren't caused by a single factor, they may be the result of a general immune response. The body produces autoantibodies when it can't tell the difference between its own cells and invading bacteria or viruses. Autoantibodies attack the body's cells and tissues causing an inflammatory response.

Cytokines

The reason children of women with lupus are at increased risk of having autism may be related to fetal exposure to cytokines that aid in fighting inflammation. Cytokines are proteins that the immune cells produce to regulate the body's inflammatory response to diseases such as arthritis and lupus. Like any good thing, too much can be harmful since the presence of cytokines can affect brain development in the fetus.

Although a child born to a mother with systemic lupus erythematosus is at higher risk of having autism than children born to other mothers, the risk is still small -- about 1 percent, according to the American College of Rheumatology. But regardless of the significant findings of recent studies, the cause of autism spectrum disorders is still unknown. Researchers continue to investigate various possible factors, including genetics and environmental components, which may contribute to the disorder. Talk to a professional like Pediatric Consultants of Mansfield for more information.