JERUSALEM, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Fertility treatments may increase the risk of autism in children, according to a research published by the University of Haifa in northern Israel Sunday.
In recent years, efforts have been made to identify the environmental factors that influence the development of autism. One of the directions that has not been thoroughly tested is the effect of fertility treatments.
Today there is a scientific and medical controversy. Some studies have found that there is no connection between fertility treatments and autism, especially IVF (In vitro fertilisation) treatments. Other studies have linked to individual hormones and autism.
Progesterone is an embryonic steroid hormone needed for brain development. There is a hypothesis that it activates a genetic mechanism for the development of autism.
According to government data, there has been an increase in the number of Israelis diagnosed with autism, apparently due to a growing awareness of autism spectrum disorders. The number of autistic people registered in Israel is approximately 16,000.