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. 2010 Jul 12;1(1):11.
doi: 10.1186/2040-2392-1-11.

Foetal testosterone and autistic traits in 18 to 24-month-old children

Bonnie Auyeung  1 , Kevin Taylor, Gerald Hackett, Simon Baron-Cohen
Affiliations

Foetal testosterone and autistic traits in 18 to 24-month-old children

Bonnie Auyeung et al. Mol Autism. .

Abstract

Background: Autism spectrum conditions have been characterised as an extreme presentation of certain male-typical psychological traits. In addition, several studies have established a link between prenatal exposure to testosterone and cognitive sex differences in later life, and one study found that foetal testosterone (FT) is positively correlated to autistic traits in 6 to 10 year-old children. In this study, we tested whether FT is positively correlated with autistic traits in toddlers aged 18-24 months.

Methods: Levels of FT were analysed in amniotic fluid and compared with autistic traits, measured using the Quantitative Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (Q-CHAT) in 129 typically developing toddlers aged between 18 and 24 months (mean +/- SD 19.25 +/- 1.52 months).

Results: Sex differences were observed in Q-CHAT scores, with boys scoring significantly higher (indicating more autistic traits) than girls. In addition, we confirmed a significant positive relationship between FT levels and autistic traits.

Conclusions: The current findings in children between 18 and 24 months of age are consistent with observations in older children showing a positive association between elevated FT levels and autistic traits. Given that sex steroid-related gene variations are associated with autistic traits in adults, this new finding suggests that the brain basis of autistic traits may reflect individual differences in prenatal androgens and androgen-related genes. The consistency of findings in early childhood, later childhood and adulthood suggests that this is a robust association.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Distribution of Quantitative Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (Q-CHAT) scores.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Relationship between foetal testosterone (FT) level and Quantitative Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (Q-CHAT) scores.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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