A clue to Autism Spectrum Disorder?

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A team at Yale believe they may have found unusual folding in the layers of the stored placentas of children who have gone on to develop ASD. These folds trap cells within them called "trophoblast inclusions". They were three times more likely to be present in children with ASD than in those without, and they also exist in some genetic conditions. The proportion is great enough for the researchers to suggest that if inclusions are found, an infant could be checked by a specialist so that autism or Asperger Syndrome could be treated earlier, before the time when symptoms normally become apparent. The study was with 74 children, and larger studies are needed.

G.M. et al. 2006. Placental trophoblast inclusions in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Biological Psychiatry, published online 23 June (paper version to come).