Pregnancy, Flu, & Autism - Valley News Live - KVLY/KXJB - Fargo/Grand Forks

The numbers are growing: right now, about one in every 54 boys born is diagnosed with autism.

A new study has shown a link between women who get the flu while they're pregnant and the later development of autism in their children.

Researchers studied 96 ,000 pregnant women over the span of six years, and they found that women who had the flu while pregnant were twice as likely to have a child with autism.

Health experts say one way of prevention is to get the flu shot.

The shot can help build your immune system, which helps you avoid getting the illness, and can also work to pass on some antibodies to the fetus.

There's been a lot of controversy about whether vaccines actually "cause" autism, and many pediatric doctors argue that the vaccine does not have any link to causing the disease.

If you should become ill while pregnant, don't panic; it's also reported that most women who had the flu and took antibiotics did not have children with autism.

Also, there may be a link between autism and fever. The study found that pregnant women who had a fever lasting a week or longer were three times as likely to have an autistic child.

To find out more information or read more about the study, click here.