Scientists Warning: Mothers Infected With Genital Herpes During Pregnancy Are Twice As Possible To Have An Autistic Child, Study Details Here

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Children born to mothers who are actively infected with genital herpes during their early pregnancy are twice as likely to develop autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study from Colombia University and the Norwegian Institute of Public Heath was published in mSphere, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology.

According to Medical News Today, Genital herpes is a common sexually transmitted infection caused by herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2). This kind of virus almost infects 417 million people worldwide, including around 10 to 20 percent of cases, which have previously diagnosed.

There is approximately 20.3 percent of females aged 14 to 49 years in the United States infected with HSV-2. Males, on the other hand, have 10.6 percent cases of contagion indicating that HSV-2 infection is more common among women than men.

The new study was the first to present proof of the anti-herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2) antibodies linked to children’s ASD risk, 12News reported. "We believe the mother's immune response to HSV-2 could be disrupting fetal central nervous system development, raising risk for autism," lead author of the research Milada Mahic said.

One in five American women has HSV-2, also known as genital herpes. It's a highly infectious and lifelong contagion mostly transmitted through sex. Following its first flare-up, HSV-2 remain in nerve cells and is often passive.

HSV-2 occurrence decreases in frequency as the body develops immunity against the virus.
Mahic and colleagues found that immune responses to the infection during pregnancy are linked to an increased risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children.

The researchers examined blood samples of 875 mothers who were members of the Autism Birth Cohort (ABC) Study. From this, 412 mothers have children with ASD, whereas 463 of them have offspring without ASD.

Mothers' blood samples were collected at their 18 weeks of pregnancy and another extraction during childbirth. The researchers studied each sample's level of antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii, rubella virus, cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1), and HSV-2.

The team discovered that mothers with high levels of antibodies to HSV-2 at 18 weeks of pregnancy were twice as possible to have children with ASD. However, high levels of antibodies to the other four pathogens were not linked to ASD risk in their children.

In addition, the researchers point out that 18 weeks of pregnancy is the time when a fetus goes through a rapid neurodevelopment. Therefore, a mother's immune response to HSV-2 may interrupt fetal nervous system development, which may boost the risk of autism.

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