Project Timeframe: 2006 to

The role of perinatal hormones on the development of autism has long been a concern among health professionals. To better our understanding of this relationship, IAI researchers and educators worked in conjunction with CDPH to explore a hormonal etiology for Autism by analyzing existing databases with the Genetic Disease Screening Program. Prenatal and newborn screening results for several hormones and protein markers (biomarkers) were linked to autism surveillance data. Levels of the biomarkers were compared in case controls identified from birth certificates for 1996 and 2002, with slight differences noted. The analysis indicates that further study on perinatal hormones and autism is be warranted, but do not suggest these prenatal markers can be used to screen for autism.