Endocrine Disruptors and Autism Spectrum Disorder in Pregnancy: A Review and Evaluation of the Quality of the Epidemiological Evidence

• Exposure to environmental contaminants during pregnancy has been linked to adverse health outcomes later in life. Notable among these pollutants are the endocrine disruptors chemicals (EDCs), which are ubiquitously present in the environment and they have been measured and quantified in the fetus. In this systematic review, our objective was to summarize the epidemiological research on the potential association between prenatal exposure to EDCs and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) published from 2005 to 2016. The Navigation Guide Systematic Review Methodology was applied. A total of 17 studies met the inclusion criteria for this review, including: five cohorts and 12 case-control. According to the definitions specified in the Navigation Guide, we rated the quality of evidence for a relationship between prenatal exposure to EDCs and ASD as “moderate”. Although the studies generally showed a positive association between EDCs and ASD, after considering the strengths and limitations, we concluded that the overall strength of evidence supporting an association between prenatal exposure to EDCs and later ASD in humans remains “limited” and inconclusive. Further well-conducted prospective studies are warranted to clarify the role of EDCs on ASD development.

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