An article recently published in the Austin American Statesman reveals new research that could impact the way we view autism. According to the article, the study showed a high incidence of autism in sets of fraternal twins.
Identical twins are twins produced when a single egg splits in utero. Identical twins share genetic material and are genetically more similar than regular siblings; because of this, if one identical twin is autistic, there is a high chance that the other twin will also be autistic.
Fraternal twins, on the other hand, are twins produced from two separate eggs in the womb. Fraternal twins share the same amount of genetic material as regular siblings; they simply share the womb at the same time. Of the sets of fraternal twins in the study, both twins had autism in 31 percent of male twin sets and in 36 percent of female twin sets. These are high percentages when you consider that these twins have no more in common physically than regular siblings – they were simply exposed to the same factors in utero.
The conclusion to draw from the study is that environmental factors in the womb do affect, and might even cause, autism. Alarmingly, animal research has shown that the drug terbutaline (also known as Brethine, Bricanyl and Brethaire), an asthma drug also marketed to prevent preterm labor, may be linked to autism when using terbutaline in pregnancy.
If you are a parent of autistic fraternal twins, contact our birth injury lawyers as soon as possible to discuss your options.