Study: Induced labor possibly linked to autism

HOUSTON – A new study is making a connection between induced or sped up labor and autism.

In a small study, a small number of children of women who had labor induced or sped up with drugs were more likely to go on to develop an autism spectrum disorder.

Researchers from Duke Medicine Durham, North Carolina say the findings don't prove inducing or speeding up, also known as augmenting labor, causes autism but it could be a marker for an underlying problem with the pregnancy.

About one in 88 children has an autism spectrum disorder.

Previous studies have found that early environmental exposures, such as pregnant women's use of epilepsy drugs and folic acid, are tied to Children's risk of developing autism.