Increased air pollution doubles risk of pregnant women having autistic children

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http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/06/18/increased-air-pollution-doubles-risk-of-pregnant-women-having-autistic-children/



Pregnant women who were exposed to high levels of air pollution were twice as likely to have a child with autism as women who lived in low pollution areas, a US study said.

According to experts at Harvard University, the research is the first large national study to examine links between the prevalence of pollution and the development of the developmental disorder.

The findings are published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

“Our findings raise concerns,” said lead author Andrea Roberts, a research associate in the Harvard School of Public Health Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences.