– A study led by Professor Simon Baron-Cohen at Cambridge University, in the United Kingdom, has shown that male children who develop autism were exposed to higher levels of specific hormones in utero than those not affected by the disorder.

– The researchers discovered that the 128 boys of the group who eventually developed autism had higher levels of three key hormones with a determining influence on the brain development of the fetus: testosterone, progesterone, and cortisol. This study suggests that what happens in the womb may have terrible consequences. Hopefully, scientists will be able to find means to better control this delicate process.

 Image: Wikimedia Commons

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