Could asthma and allergies during pregnancy be linked to autism?

[pjcnet]

I was diagnosed as autistic as a very young child in the 1970s along with both my brothers who are severely autistic. Neither of my brothers can read or write, count to 5 or do many things that a "normal" person can and sadly they will need 24/7 care for the rest of their lives. I was also very slow to develop during childhood and at first experts believed that I'd be the same, but unlike my 2 brothers I dramatically started improving, although was still left with numerous autistic traits even in adulthood. Back in the 1970s experts didn't believe there was any genetic link to autism, although doctors were fascinated that all 3 of us were autistic against astronomical odds and in fact the highest expert in the UK profession got personally involved in our case, namely Professor Michael Rutter (now Sir Michael Llewellyn Rutter, later knighted for his work with autistic children). I have however always suspected that our autism was linked to my mother's asthma during pregnancy, she also has a lot of allergies including bad hay fever, in fact her asthma is better controlled in later life and her asthma attacks were found to be triggered by allergic reactions. What's more all 3 of us had difficult berths and I understand quite a bit of oxygen was needed, but the worst of all was my brother Daniel who is also the most severely autistic of all, he stopped breathing and had to be resuscitated after delivery, in fact Daniel is so severe that I suspect he is also brain damaged as well as autistic.

Until quite recently asthma and allergies were dismissed as a possible cause to autism, but here is an interesting article titled, "Pregnant mothers' asthma and allergies linked to more severe autism in their children" which has really got me thinking again. Another article suggested that the link maybe caused by asthma medication rather than the asthma itself, if this was true I'm sure pharmaceutical companies will be among the first to vigorously deny it, imagine the potential law suits if this was ever proven beyond reasonable doubt.

So what do you think, please share your thoughts and opinions? Thanks in advance.

 

[The Midge]

It is possible. But reading the article the researchers seemed to have found a statistical link with severity and allergies. Unfortunately it is a news paper article so they don't indicate the figures. So it could be a 100% increase or < 0.5%. It could be something to do with antihistamine or asthmatic drugs or a statistical coincidence rather than the allergies. As they say:

'There are many, perhaps dozens, perhaps hundreds of different biological pathways through which a child can develop autism.

What this study provides us is an inkling of one potential pathway and that's still a really important finding.'
​

Which sounds a lot like scientist speak for "We don't really know. Will you find our next research project?"

 

[xudo]

My Mum didn't have asthma or allergies during pregnancy. My sister is NT and I have Asperger's. I have asthma though.

 

[Bolletje]

Neither of my parents have any allergies or asthma, so for me personally the theory doesn't hold.

 

[Keigan]

A few weeks ago I found an article that suspected a link between the woman being sick at conception leading to autism. I need to find it. It was not statistically significant though it makes good cause for further research.

 

[Judge]

Interesting subject. I was born with hay fever issues that have plagued me my whole life to varying degrees depending mostly upon where I lived relative to flora, fauna, etc.. As well I've had certain food allergies which came and went with age. All which have been observed by medical professionals at one time or another.

Though no medical professional ever diagnosed any of my "sensitivities" as a manifestation of autism. Particularly my "flight/fight" response to cigarette smoke, which has easily been the most toxic substance to me my whole life. Someone thing no one has ever been able to truly explain, along with sensitivities to light, sound, taste and some tactile sensations.

It all makes me wonder if there's some formal "threshold" where an objectively diagnosed allergy becomes "something else" perhaps within the realm of neurology as opposed to that within the realm of allergens?

 

[OkRad]

I was diagnosed as autistic as a very young child in the 1970s along with both my brothers who are severely autistic. Neither of my brothers can read or write, count to 5 or do many things that a "normal" person can and sadly they will need 24/7 care for the rest of their lives. I was also very slow to develop during childhood and at first experts believed that I'd be the same, but unlike my 2 brothers I dramatically started improving, although was still left with numerous autistic traits even in adulthood. Back in the 1970s experts didn't believe there was any genetic link to autism, although doctors were fascinated that all 3 of us were autistic against astronomical odds and in fact the highest expert in the UK profession got personally involved in our case, namely Professor Michael Rutter (now Sir Michael Llewellyn Rutter, later knighted for his work with autistic children). I have however always suspected that our autism was linked to my mother's asthma during pregnancy, she also has a lot of allergies including bad hay fever, in fact her asthma is better controlled in later life and her asthma attacks were found to be triggered by allergic reactions. What's more all 3 of us had difficult berths and I understand quite a bit of oxygen was needed, but the worst of all was my brother Daniel who is also the most severely autistic of all, he stopped breathing and had to be resuscitated after delivery, in fact Daniel is so severe that I suspect he is also brain damaged as well as autistic.

Until quite recently asthma and allergies were dismissed as a possible cause to autism, but here is an interesting article titled, "Pregnant mothers' asthma and allergies linked to more severe autism in their children" which has really got me thinking again. Another article suggested that the link maybe caused by asthma medication rather than the asthma itself, if this was true I'm sure pharmaceutical companies will be among the first to vigorously deny it, imagine the potential law suits if this was ever proven beyond reasonable doubt.

So what do you think, please share your thoughts and opinions? Thanks in advance.

Did your mom take meds for asthma? I am more leaning toward medications and/or environmental toxin being a causative factor than a condition. I was tanked by two vaccine reactions (I am NOT antivaxx, however, as I have a genetic condition that may make it hard to process vaccines, that is all).

Have you and your brothers been Karyotyped?? Perhaps there is a genetic cnv or abberation which makes your more vulnerable to epigenetics or environmental factors?

 

[OkRad]

Interesting subject. I was born with hay fever issues that have plagued me my whole life to varying degrees depending mostly upon where I lived relative to flora, fauna, etc.. As well I've had certain food allergies which came and went with age. All which have been observed by medical professionals at one time or another.

Though no medical professional ever diagnosed any of my "sensitivities" as a manifestation of autism. Particularly my "flight/fight" response to cigarette smoke, which has easily been the most toxic substance to me my whole life. Someone thing no one has ever been able to truly explain, along with sensitivities to light, sound, taste and some tactile sensations.

It all makes me wonder if there's some formal "threshold" where an objectively diagnosed allergy becomes "something else" perhaps within the realm of neurology as opposed to that within the realm of allergens?

I share that with you, the food allergies and the extreme intolerance to cig smoke. When I was a kid, I was in a CHILDRENS HOSPITAL and the kids were allowed to smoke. It was psych because I could not eat and the kids were all smoking. I cannot even begin to explain to you the hell I was in.

Here were adults tell me, "We know better. YOU are sick. You are mental. Here , have a cig."

I explained I could not think straight with all that smoke. I have my diary, begging my mom to get me out of there, how the smoke was becomming even a bigger issue than my issues, but they said I was making excuses (not my parents , they were trying so hard to know how to help m e ,but the "professionals", oh, Okrad making excuses) Excuses for what? I never understood what htey meant, like I WANTED to be in there? Idiots.

 

[Judge]

I cannot even begin to explain to you the hell I was in.

You wouldn't have to. I experienced this firsthand in my first real office job.

Where people smoked all day long in close proximity to my desk before there were cubicles. In my case I was extraordinarily fortunate to be working in the very first city to pass the first municipal ordinance banning smoking in the workplace. -San Francisco, California.

But up to that point I suffered each and every day. I honestly don't know how I survived.

 

[pjcnet]

Did your mom take meds for asthma? I am more leaning toward medications and/or environmental toxin being a causative factor than a condition. I was tanked by two vaccine reactions (I am NOT antivaxx, however, as I have a genetic condition that may make it hard to process vaccines, that is all).

Have you and your brothers been Karyotyped?? Perhaps there is a genetic cnv or abberation which makes your more vulnerable to epigenetics or environmental factors?

I assume she had medication during pregnancy, she used at least one inhaler from as early as I can remember and she had treatment for allergies too, I will ask her next time I talk (both my parents are now elderly and still look after both my brothers).

In the 1970s there wasn't any genetic tests available as we grow up and after being seen by Professor Rutter along with numerous other doctors / psychiatrists my parents became really fed up of all the interest and started keeping a distance, refusing further tests and it's been like that ever since. I no longer live with my parents and I alone was re-diagnosed a few years ago as my original autism diagnosis in the 1970s was on paper files, but genetic tests have never even been mentioned and I'm don't think they're common in the UK yet.

I share that with you, the food allergies and the extreme intolerance to cig smoke. When I was a kid, I was in a CHILDRENS HOSPITAL and the kids were allowed to smoke. It was psych because I could not eat and the kids were all smoking. I cannot even begin to explain to you the hell I was in.

Here were adults tell me, "We know better. YOU are sick. You are mental. Here , have a cig."

I explained I could not think straight with all that smoke. I have my diary, begging my mom to get me out of there, how the smoke was becomming even a bigger issue than my issues, but they said I was making excuses (not my parents , they were trying so hard to know how to help m e ,but the "professionals", oh, Okrad making excuses) Excuses for what? I never understood what htey meant, like I WANTED to be in there? Idiots.

(The above quote was originally in reply to @Judge - see above, so the following is a response to both.)

It's strange you talk about tobacco smoke as my Dad used to smoke a pipe and as a child I remember my Mother often having really bad asthma as well as numerous other illnesses related to the respiratory system including pleurisy, bronchitis and more, at the time she didn't link it to tobacco smoke. When I was a young teenager however my Dad gave up smoking and not only did my mother's asthma quickly get much better (she barely even needs an inhaler any more), but all her respiratory system illnesses suddenly ceased too. Pipe smoking isn't quite as damaging as cigarettes for the smoker, but it's worse for passive smoking as a lot more smoke is blown out and it obviously made quite a difference to my Mother (pipe smoking was much more common in those days). It's a horrid thought, but perhaps my Mother's particular intolerance to tobacco smoke indirectly caused our autism as without that my mother probably wouldn't have needed other medication during pregnancy that might have directly caused it (I would obviously never suggest such a thing to my Dad and back in those days nothing used to be publicised about the dangers of passive smoking while smoking was allowed virtually everywhere).

PS: I know how bad smoking is, but unfortunately it didn't stop me starting when I was a teenager and I've struggled to stop ever since, I am now 48 years old and I have suspected COPD (irreversible lung damage that reduces your lung capacity making you breathless) and I'm awaiting a full diagnosis, if I do have this disease it will slowly progress and it will most probably ultimately kill me, although if I stop smoking now it will slow down the progression significantly and make breathing easier now, especially with treatments (it's easier said than done, but I'm going to have to try again soon).

 

[Crossbreed]

I have asthma though.

There is a higher incidence of allergies and asthma among auties (and gifteds).

I have however always suspected that our autism was linked to my mother's asthma during pregnancy, she also has a lot of allergies including bad hay fever, in fact her asthma is better controlled in later life and her asthma attacks were found to be triggered by allergic reactions.

Your brother's resuscitation notwithstanding, your mother's allergies and asthma could indicate that she is on the spectrum, too.

There is a strong evidence that LFAs are a consequence of contemporary, environmental insult on a person with a pre-existing autistic lineage.

 

[Crossbreed]

It all makes me wonder if there's some formal "threshold" where an objectively diagnosed allergy becomes "something else" perhaps within the realm of neurology as opposed to that within the realm of allergens?

I recently (acquired?) an allergy to certain bee stings. My reaction was just itchy hives, to date.* While I don't like itchy hives, I found it to be irritating more than compelling. I find my managed hay fever to be the same way (though it was more intense at a different locale).

In my case, I characterize them both as physiological.

*My doctor says that the next one could be fatal, so I have an epi-pen on hand.

 

[Flinty]

If this were the case, then my brothers would likely be on the spectrum as we were all born in the same town. Instead, one of them has joined my mother and me in the world of summertime allergies.

 

[Crossbreed]

Instead, one of them has joined my mother and me in the world of summertime allergies.

I gained two allergies [bee stings, hay fever] and lost one [codeine] in adulthood.

 

[Katleya]

My father had asthma during my mother's pregnancy, but that's not what we're discussing, is it?

All jokes aside, like others have said, I wouldn't be surprised that the asthma medication played a greater role than the actual asthma.
One thing I can't help but wonder is how many people are diagnosed with asthma when they actually have another respiratory condition (I was unsuccessfully treated for over 20 years; well, turns out the inhaler was no use because I didn't have asthma after all). In my particular case, the alleged asthma had something to do with a condition that has comorbidity with autism, which might give additional weight to Crossbreed's statement on the higher incidence of asthma/allergies in auties.

There is a higher incidence of allergies and asthma among auties (and gifteds).

Maybe what we're really allergic to is other people's bullcrap?