stress exposure tagged posts

Representation of the long/short polymorphism of the 5-HTT gene and the release, reception and recycling of serotonin in neurons. Adapted from Canli and Lesch

Stress during pregnancy has been linked to several conditions, including some instances of autism spectrum disorder. Now, researchers at the Uni of Missouri School of Medicine have observed a variant of a stress-sensitive gene and exposure to stress during pregnancy among two groups of mothers of children with autism. The researchers believe the finding could be a step toward helping identify women who have greater risks for having children with autism when exposed to stressors during a specific time window during pregnancy.

“Autism was thought to be largely a genetic disorder, but previous research has shown that environmental influ...