Rat Study Suggests "Good Bacteria" Could Relieve Autism-like Symptoms in Pregnancy

Giving beneficial bacteria to stressed mothers during the equivalent of the third trimester of pregnancy prevents an autism-like disorder in their offspring, according to a new animal study by University of Colorado Boulder researchers. The study, published in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, marks the latest in a series of studies in animals and humans suggesting that exposure to certain immune-modulating microbes can dampen inflammation, positively impacting the brain and central nervous system. It's among the first studies to suggest that such exposures during pregnancy influence neurodevelopment of a fetus and, while far more research is necessary, could open the door to new prenatal interventions. "It suggests that you could develop microbial interventions that lower the risk of neurodevelopmental syndromes like autism," said co-author Christopher Lowry, an associate professor in the Department of Integrative Physiology. In humans, research has long shown that maternal stress during pregnancy prompts systemic inflammation in both the mother and fetus and is a risk factor for autism, said senior author Daniel Barth, a professor of psychology and neuroscience. https://www.technologynetworks.com/neuroscience/news/rat-study-suggests-good-bacteria-could-relieve-autism-like-symptoms-in-pregnancy-335345?utm_campaign=NEWSLETTER_TN_Breaking%20Science%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=88562792&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_hOX-n1jNKdRR9sxb__NEjSV34ay8Sdj5Ll09eElsUQDzX7tPSEP7laRVBsXfkB_wxeSigXvMcjLRyOZZzxwN_7dntPg&utm_content=88562792&utm_source=hs_email