New research just surfaced that links autistic traits to high levels of the male hormone testosterone in the womb. Some...
New research just surfaced that links autistic traits to high levels of the male hormone testosterone in the womb. Some highlights: The research notes that autistic traits should not be mistaken for full blown autism. High testosterone levels only resulted in traits of autism, not a diagnosis of autism. Children who had been exposed to higher than average testosterone level in the womb, when socially tested between the ages of six and ten years, gave answers that reflected poor social skills, imagination and empathy -- but good attention to and memory for detail. What this means for autism research: If scientists can further nail this issue down - i.e. directly coordinate autism and high testosterone levels, this could result in a possible autism prevention tactic. There are already medications that block testosterone. On the flip side, this opens a whole new can of ethical worms. In order to provide treatment to women who may be carrying a child who will later develop autism, you'd have to know that that child will someday develop autism. Whew, did you follow that? This means we'd need a genetic test that really can identify autistic children in the womb, which further complicates the issue, because when has testing gone too far? Would this result in too much selective baby choosing? It's tricky. But, as always, any research that may eventually serve to help parents and babies, I'm a fan of. We'll just have to see how this all pans out. What do you think? If there was a selective prenatal test for autism would you be interested in taking it?
