Infertility Link to Autism Risk/October 26, 2006 Is Father's Age A major factor??

At the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, Professor Mary Croughan of the University of California, who led the research on 4,000 women said that "what has caused then to be unable to conceive goes on to cause problems". Couples with infertility problems are 3X more likely to have a child with serious problems such as autism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation, seizures and cancer. For autism alone, the risk was four times higher.



According to Professor Mary Croughan, lead researcher of the University of California study on 4,000 women and their children aged up to six years, couples with fertility problems were also more likely to have other health problems, like diabetes and heart disease, as well as having a higher risk of pregnancy and labor complications. She said: "What has caused them to be unable to conceive goes on to cause problems.

"It is as if a brick wall has stopped you becoming pregnant. Treatment allows you to climb over the wall, but it is still there and it goes on to cause problems."

The study revealed that the risk of five serious disorders - autism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation, seizures and cancer - was 2.7 times higher among the children born to 2,000 women who experienced fertility problems than among those born to the 2,000 women who did not have difficult conceiving.