Last spring the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention increased their estimate of approximately how many children in the United States fall on the autism spectrum by 15 percent. Currently, they think that it now affects one in 59 kids, with the condition more prevalent in boys. With the uptick in diagnoses, researchers aren't only trying to learn more about why the number is rising, but also the intricacies of the disorder and what it means for the children diagnosed.

A team at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing recently conducted a study in which they found that kids with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) had the highest frequency of rapid weight gain during the initial six months of their life. Researchers believe this may put them at a heightened risk for childhood obesity.

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Prior to the study little had been known about why kids with ASD seemed to be more at risk for becoming obese, so insight into the matter is a huge help to both the medical and autistic community. It sets the stage for more research into the intertwined areas of autism and childhood obesity. Could this early rapid weight gain influence a diagnosis? Can pediatricians learn how to put the brakes on higher-than-usual infant weight gain as an intervention for weight issues later in life? These questions, plus many others, could open doors to learning more about childhood health epidemics, setting families up for success instead of uncertainty.

Autism is defined as a mental condition that's present from early childhood and is characterized by difficulty in communicating and forming relationships with other people and in using language and abstract concepts.language and abstract concepts.

The Penn Nursing study didn't only reveal insight into autism and childhood obesity, it also shed some light on how a mother's pre-pregnancy weight could affect her little one later in life. Women who were overweight or obese prior to conception were nearly 2.5 times more likely to have a child diagnosed as overweight or obese between the ages of 2 and 5. Additionally, the risk for childhood obesity increased by 1.5 times for moms who gained more than the recommended weight during pregnancy.

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