A rigorous new study examining the association between ultrasounds during the first or second trimester of pregnancy and later development of autism spectrum disorder, however, delivers some good news. The study, which analyzed the medical records and ultrasound details of more than 400 kids who were born at Boston Medical Center, found there was no increase in the number of prenatal scans or duration of ultrasound exposure in children with autism compared with kids with typical development or separate developmental delays. In fact, the group with autism had less average exposure time
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[T]he new study, published Monday [Feb. 12] in JAMA Pediatrics, did leave one question unanswered: Does the depth of the actual ultrasound scan make a difference? The work found the children with autism were exposed to prenatal ultrasounds with greater penetration than the control group.…
Perhaps, the authors wrote, greater ultrasound depth could result in more harmful exposure to energy emissions—potentially causing damage to the developing fetuses’ cells and brains. Yet the authors themselves cautioned there is not enough evidence in humans to draw that conclusion and that further, larger studies should be launched to explore that relationship.
[Editor’s note: Read the full study]
Read full, original post: Researchers Find No Strong Link between Prenatal Ultrasounds and Autism
