Maternal Rh D status, anti-D immune globulin exposure during pregnancy, and risk of autism spectrum disorders.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of the study was to investigate the association between maternal Rh D status, prenatal exposure to anti-D immune globulin, and the risk of autism in the offspring.


METHODS
Case-control study among children born from 1995 to 1999 at Kaiser Permanente Northern California hospitals. Cases (n = 400) were children with an autism diagnosis; controls (n = 410) were children without autism, randomly sampled and frequency matched to cases on sex, birth year, and birth hospital. Maternal Rh D status and anti-D immune globulin exposure were ascertained from prenatal medical records.


RESULTS
No case-control differences were observed for maternal Rh negative status (11.5% vs 10.0%, P = .5) or prenatal anti-D immune globulin exposure (10.0% vs. 9.3%, P = .7). Risk of autism remained unassociated with maternal Rh status or prenatal exposure to anti-D immune globulins after adjustment for covariates.


CONCLUSIONS
These data support previous findings that prenatal exposure to thimerosal-containing anti-D immune globulins does not increase the risk of autism.
Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, CA 94612, USA. lisa.a.croen@kp.org
Lisa A
LA
Croen
Marilyn
M
Matevia
Cathleen K
CK
Yoshida
Judith K
JK
Grether
D000328:Adult; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011310:Preservatives, Pharmaceutical; D012204:Rh-Hr Blood-Group System / Q000097:blood*; D018029:Rho(D) Immune Globulin; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013849:Thimerosal
D007155:Immunologic Factors; D011310:Preservatives, Pharmaceutical; D012204:Rh-Hr Blood-Group System; D018029:Rho(D) Immune Globulin; D013849:Thimerosal