Autism is a neurological disorder that is part of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and that affects the ability of those who suffer to communicate and interact with other people. One in 150 children is within the autistic spectrum and although its causes are not known exactly, it is a consequence of functional or structural alterations of the brain of the person suffering from it.
Several studies have found or ruled out possible reasons that affect the probability of suffering from it. Now a new study found that the expected time between one pregnancy and another could influence the likelihood of a child suffering from autism.
We had previously shared a study in which they found that waiting a short time between pregnancies could increase the risk of autism. Now this new study, published in Autism Research, confirmed this, but also found that also waiting too long between each pregnancy could increase the risk of suffering from Autism Spectrum Disorder in young children.
To carry it out, a sample of children born in second place or more was studied, which included 356 children with some Autism Spectrum Disorder, 627 children with developmental disabilities and a control group of 524 children.
According to the results of the study, Babies who are conceived before 18 months have passed after the mother gave birth, they could be more likely to have an ASD.
However, this does not mean that couples should wait a long time, since it was also found that this risk increased in children who were conceived 60 months or 5 years after the birth of their older siblings.
Regarding developmental disabilities, no relationship was found between them and the waiting time between each pregnancy.
How much should you expect between each pregnancy?
Many couples wonder how long it is wise to wait between each pregnancy. Some prefer to have their children soon to share their early years and not have to "start over from scratch" with sleepless, diapers and so on if they wait longer. Other couples prefer to enjoy and devote 100% to their first child, and then have more.
Now, the recommendation of the World Health Organization for the waiting time between each pregnancy is two years, regardless of whether you had vaginal delivery or caesarean section.
In Babies and more We had previously shared the results of an analysis between the intergenic interval (time between pregnancies) and perinatal complications. This analysis found that The optimal time between each pregnancy is not less than 18 months (one year and a half) or more than 59 months (almost five years), which are very close to the results of the study that we present in this article.
Conceiving a baby before or after these times increases the likelihood of complications during pregnancy and childbirth, such as premature birth or the baby being born underweight. Similarly, they could increase the risk of hypertension during pregnancy.
To avoid all these risks, family planning is extremely important, which is everyone's responsibility: men and women. Remember that waiting for the right times is for the good of the next baby and the health of the mother.
Photos | iStock
Via | Inquirer
In Babies and more | They find a way to know if a baby will have an autism spectrum disorder, Autism could be diagnosed from six months of age through a brain scanner, Waiting a short time between pregnancies increases the risk of premature delivery
