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A new study reveals that Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 (HSV-2), commonly known as genital herpes, may play a role in autism.


The study found that when the virus was active in early pregnancy, it doubled the chances of a male fetus developing autism spectrum disorder. The researchers are not saying that all pregnant women with active genital herpes will give birth to an autistic child, but the virus may be one of many triggers for the condition if the mother is predisposed.

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Researchers used data from the Norway Autism Birth Cohort. They looked at 442 mothers of children with ASD, matching them with 464 mothers who gave birth to unaffected children of the same sex in the same month and year (1999 to 2008).

Blood samples revealed that herpes in early pregnancy doubled the risk of a male baby being diagnosed with ASD. There weren't enough baby girls in the group to draw the same conclusion for females.

Related: Study: Biomarker Predicts Depression During Pregnancy

Many members of the scientific community are skeptical of the connection between autism and HSV-2. Peter Hotez, a vaccine scientist and pediatrician at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, says: "The changes in the architecture of the neocortex in the brains of kids with autism are so profound that it's hard to imagine how an inflammatory response, even in utero, is going to cause that."

Genital Herpes infects approximately one in five women of childbearing age across the U.S.