Affecting 5-10% of women, polycystic ovary syndrome does not only lead to impaired fertility and an imbalance in the menstrual cycle. According to a study conducted by the University of Cambridge, women affected by this syndrome are also at greater risk of having a child with autism.
The leading cause of fertility problems in women, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) now affects 5% to 10% of women. Caused by hormonal imbalance, it is characterized by high levels of testosterone in the body, which impairs the growth of ovarian follicles and disrupts egg production.
The consequences are numerous: late onset of puberty, irregular menstrual cycles, excess hair and impaired fertility. Polycystic ovary syndrome may also be associated with a higher risk of autism in children, according to researchers at the Autism Research Center at the University of Cambridge in England.
The sex steroid hormones involved
Published in the journal Translational Psychiatry, this new study establishes a causal link between polycystic ovary syndrome in mothers and the development of autistic disorders in children.
In previous work published in 2015, the team of researchers had already shown that even before their birth, children with autism had high levels of sex steroid hormones, including testosterone, which “masculinize” the body and brain of the child. baby. They then wondered where these sex steroid hormones came from. These are in fact produced by the mother and play an important role in the development of autistic disorders when the latter has polycystic ovary syndrome. This is because some of these hormones can cross the placental barrier.
To reach this conclusion, the scientists compiled data from a large database including the records of 8,588 women with PCOS and their firstborns. These data were then compared to those of a group of 41,127 women without PCOS. The team found that, even after taking other factors into account, women with PCOS had a 2.3% risk of having a child with autism, compared to 1.7% for mothers without. PCOS.
“This new research helps us understand the effects of testosterone on the developing fetal brain and on the child’s behavior and mind later on,” says Professor Simon Baron-Cohen, director of the Center for Research on autism and lead author of the study. “These hormonal effects are not necessarily independent of genetic factors, because a mother or her baby can have higher levels of the hormone for genetic reasons, and testosterone can affect how genes work.”
Better inform women during their pregnancy
In addition, the team of scientists also showed that autistic women were more likely to have PCOS and that women with PCOS were more likely to have autism themselves. This suggests that the two conditions are related, possibly because they both share high levels of sex steroid hormones.
For Dr. Carrie Allison, co-author of the study, this new finding shows that there is a need to “think about practical measures” that can be put in place to “support women with PCOS throughout their pregnancy. “. This requires in particular better information delivered from the start of pregnancy. “The likelihood is statistically significant, but low nonetheless, as most women with PCOS will not have children with autism, but we want to be transparent with this new information.”
.
