Autism May Be Linked to Mom's Autoimmune Disease
Possible causes of disorder should now include celiac disease, study suggests
"These findings are not going to change anything anyone does," Brosco said. "You are not going to treat any patients differently. There is no strong evidence for changing clinical practice, but it does help scientists who are interested in autism understand what are the next questions to ask."
Geraldine Dawson, chief science officer for Autism Speaks, said that evidence is increasing that the immune system might have a role in autism.
"One of the things we are realizing about autism is that it is not one disease but rather many different diseases or conditions that has many different etiologies," Dawson said. "This may be one cause or one risk factor, and if it interacts with a genetic vulnerability, it can increase the risk for autism," she said.
More information
The U.S. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development has more on autism.
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