Associations of maternal perinatal depressive disorders with autism spectrum disorder in offspring: Findings from a data-linkage cohort study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

There is limited research on the association between maternal depression and autism spectrum disorder, and existing studies face significant limitations, including inadequate control for confounders, reliance on self-reported data, small sample sizes and lack of investigation into mediating factors. This study addresses these gaps by examining the direct relationship and the potential mediating effects of preterm birth, low birth weight and low Apgar scores.

Methods

We analysed linked administrative health data involving 223,068 mother-offspring pairs in New South Wales, Australia. Maternal perinatal depressive disorders and offspring autism spectrum disorder were assessed using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Australian Modification

SUBMITTER: Tusa BS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11837418 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature