Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnoses and Congenital Cytomegalovirus

A large cohort study using U.S. Medicaid data from 2014 to 2020 found that children diagnosed with congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV)—a viral infection present at birth—were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared to children without cCMV. Among nearly 3 million children analyzed, those with cCMV had a 2.5 times higher risk of receiving an ASD diagnosis, even after adjusting for factors like sex, birth year, and geographic region. The association was particularly notable in children without central nervous system (CNS) anomalies or injuries, suggesting that cCMV may contribute to ASD risk independently of more obvious neurological complications.

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