ArticleTranslational psychiatry2018
Polycystic ovary syndrome and autism: A test of the prenatal sex steroid theory.
Article in Translational psychiatry, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT05811507 (Evaluation of Serum Adrenal Androgens Among Prepubertal and Pubertal Boys With Autism Spectrum Disorder), which is not on this map. Cited by 55 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
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.
Evaluation of Serum Adrenal Androgens Among Prepubertal and Pubertal Boys With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Who cites it
55 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 113 citations in OpenAlex.
- Neuropsychiatric disorders in children of mothers with polycystic ovary syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC psychiatry · 2026Pooled it
- Association Between Mental Health and Reproductive System Disorders in Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.JAMA network open · 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
- Maternal polycystic ovarian syndrome in autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Molecular psychiatry · 2019Pooled it
- Effects of oxytocin administration on salivary sex hormone levels in autistic and neurotypical women.Molecular autism · 2020Trial
- MeCP2 Governs maternal hyperandrogenism-induced cortical defects and behavioral alterations via noncanonical AR-dependent regulation of Mef2c.Nature communications · 2026Article
- The prenatal sex steroid theory of autism after 25 years.Nature human behaviour · 2026Review
- Perinatal hyperandrogenization and immune activation in rodents model subtypes of autism.Translational psychiatry · 2026Article
- Risk of hospitalization and death among autistic young people in England during the Covid-19 pandemic.Molecular autism · 2026Article
- Review
- Examining androgen and estrogen profiles during pubertal development in autistic and neurotypical girls.Hormones and behavior · 2025Article
- Neuroactive steroid exposure impacts neurodevelopment: Comparison of human and rodent placental contribution.Journal of neuroendocrinology · 2025Review
- Maternal polycystic ovarian syndrome and offspring psychopathology and neurodevelopment.Human reproduction (Oxford, England) · 2025Review
- Female reproductive health trends and autism spectrum disorder prevalence between 2000 and 2024.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Neuroactive steroids in the programming of neurodevelopment: implications of maternal obesity.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2025Review
- Diagnosis of common health conditions among autistic adults in the UK: evidence from a matched cohort study.The Lancet regional health. Europe · 2024Article
- The transgender phenomenon: needs for research.Journal of public health policy · 2024Article
- Fetal brain growth and infant autistic traits.Molecular autism · 2024Article
- Comparison of acne vulgaris patients and healthy controls in terms of autistic features and 2D:4D ratio.International journal of developmental disabilities · 2024Article
- Associations between neighborhood stress and maternal sex steroid hormones in pregnancy.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
Elevated levels of prenatal testosterone may increase the risk for autism spectrum conditions (autism). Given that polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is also associated with elevated prenatal testosterone and its precursor sex steroids, a hypothesis from the prenatal sex steroid theory is that women with PCOS should have elevated autistic traits and a higher rate of autism among their children. Using electronic health records obtained from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) in the UK between 1990 and 2014, we conducted three matched case-control studies. Studies 1 and 2 examined the risk of PCOS in women with autism (n = 971) and the risk of autism in women with PCOS (n = 26,263), respectively, compared with matched controls. Study 3 examined the odds ratio (OR) of autism in first-born children of women with PCOS (n = 8588), matched to 41,127 controls. In Studies 1 and 2 we found increased prevalence of PCOS in women with autism (2.3% vs. 1.1%; unadjusted OR: 2.01, 95% CI: 1.22-3.30) and elevated rates of autism in women with PCOS (0.17% vs. 0.09%, unadjusted OR: 1.94 CI: 1.37-2.76). In Study 3 we found the odds of having a child with autism were significantly increased, even after adjustment for maternal psychiatric diagnoses, obstetric complications, and maternal metabolic conditions (unadjusted OR: 1.60, 95% CI: 1.28-2.00; adjusted OR: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.06-1.73). These studies provide further evidence that women with PCOS and their children have a greater risk of autism.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
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.