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April 24, 2026Frontiers in PsychologyOpen Access

Prenatal maternal psychological distress and the risk of autism spectrum disorders in offspring: results from a meta-analysis of observational studies

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Authors

DLDan LinZCZ F ChenYWYanxia Wang

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Overview

Meta-analysis reveals higher autism risk in offspring linked to maternal psychological distress, highlighting need for mental health screening.

Key Points

  • This meta-analysis aims to examine the relationship between prenatal maternal psychological distress and the risk of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in children.
  • Systematic search of six electronic databases for observational studies up to June 2025.
  • Inclusion of studies assessing the relationship between maternal psychological distress during pregnancy and ASD risk.
  • Calculation of pooled odds ratios and assessment of heterogeneity and publication bias.
  • Offspring of mothers with prenatal psychological distress have a 72% higher likelihood of ASD diagnosis (OR = 1.72).
  • The association held across various study designs and ASD diagnostic methods despite substantial heterogeneity.
  • Effect estimates were consistent across different types of maternal psychological distress, including stress, depression, and anxiety.

Cite This Study

Lin et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69eb07a4553a5433e34b331dhttps://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1682620
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Also Consider

Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context:

  1. 1Parental psychiatric diagnoses as predictive factors for autism spectrum disorder in the child: confluence of genetics and environment2024 · 1 citations
  2. 2Sex-specific associations between maternal prenatal and postnatal psychological distress and autism spectrum disorder in the Japan Environment and Children’s Study2026
  3. 3Association of parental prenatal mental health with offspring neurodevelopmental disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis2026 · 2 citations
  4. 4Mental health in mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder: a cross-sectional study2024 · 11 citations
  5. 5Prenatal exposure to maternal stress hormones and the risk of autism: a neuroendocrine–epigenetic scoping review2026