ArticleMolecular psychiatry2016
Maternal polycystic ovary syndrome and the risk of autism spectrum disorders in the offspring: a population-based nationwide study in Sweden.
Article in Molecular psychiatry, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 81 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
81 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 149 citations in OpenAlex.
- Neuropsychiatric disorders in children of mothers with polycystic ovary syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC psychiatry · 2026Pooled it
- Steroid hormone pathways, vitamin D and autism: a systematic review.Journal of neural transmission (Vienna, Austria : 1996) · 2023Pooled it
- A systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between maternal polycystic ovary syndrome and neuropsychiatric disorders in children.Translational psychiatry · 2021Pooled it
- Potential of Salivary Biomarkers in Autism Research: A Systematic Review.International journal of molecular sciences · 2021Pooled it
- Maternal polycystic ovarian syndrome in autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Molecular psychiatry · 2019Pooled it
- Cognitive function in metformin exposed children, born to mothers with PCOS - follow-up of an RCT.BMC pediatrics · 2020Trial
- A novel method to demonstrate that pregnant women with polycystic ovary syndrome hyper-expose their fetus to androgens as a possible stepping stone for the developmental theory of PCOS. A pilot study.Reproductive biology and endocrinology : RB&E · 2017Trial
- Potential links between PCOS/PMOS and Alzheimer disease and related dementias.Journal of the Endocrine Society · 2026Review
- Steroidopathies and hormonal imbalance in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder.JCPP advances · 2026Article
- MeCP2 Governs maternal hyperandrogenism-induced cortical defects and behavioral alterations via noncanonical AR-dependent regulation of Mef2c.Nature communications · 2026Article
- Perinatal hyperandrogenization and immune activation in rodents model subtypes of autism.Translational psychiatry · 2026Article
- Association of maternal endometriosis with autism spectrum disorder in offspring: a retrospective cohort study.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2025Article
- Reproductive Toxicity and Transgenerational Effects of Anesthetic Etomidate in Zebrafish: PCOS-like Ovarian Changes, Oxidative Stress, and Metabolism Disruption.Environment & health (Washington, D.C.) · 2025Article
- Development of a case definition for polycystic ovary syndrome using administrative health data: a validation study.BMJ open · 2025Article
- Neuroactive steroid exposure impacts neurodevelopment: Comparison of human and rodent placental contribution.Journal of neuroendocrinology · 2025Review
- Review
- Maternal Hyperandrogenemia and the Long-Term Neuropsychological, Sex Developmental, and Metabolic Effects on Offspring.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Review
- Exposure to Synthetic Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals in Relation to Maternal and Fetal Sex Steroid Hormones: A Scoping Review.Current environmental health reports · 2024Article
- Theoretical-Methodological Foundations for the Global Integration Method (Método de Integração Global-MIG) in the Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Review
- Elevated circulating adiponectin levels do not prevent anxiety-like behavior in a PCOS-like mouse model.Scientific reports · 2024Article
21 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Although many studies indicate the interplay of genetic and environmental factors in the etiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), our limited understanding of the underlying mechanisms hampers the development of effective ways of detecting and preventing the disorder. Recent studies support the hypothesis that prenatal androgen exposure contributes to the development of ASD. This would suggest that maternal polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a condition associated with excess androgens, would increase the risk of ASD in the offspring. We conducted a matched case-control study nested within the total population of Sweden (children aged 4-17 who were born in Sweden from 1984 to 2007). The sample consisted of 23 748 ASD cases and 208 796 controls, matched by birth month and year, sex and region of birth. PCOS and ASD were defined from ICD codes through linkage to health-care registers. Maternal PCOS increased the odds of ASD in the offspring by 59%, after adjustment for confounders (odds ratio (OR) 1.59, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.34-1.88). The odds of offspring ASD were further increased among mothers with both PCOS and obesity, a condition common to PCOS that is related to more severe hyperandrogenemia (OR 2.13, 95% CI 1.46-3.10). Risk estimates did not differ between sexes. In conclusion, children of women with PCOS appear to have a higher risk of developing ASD. This finding awaits confirmation, and exploration of potentially underlying mechanisms, including the role of sex steroids in the etiology of ASD.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.