Autism affects one child from every 70 children in the country. “A mechanical lifestyle is one of the main reasons for its increasing rate,” said Dr Mohammad Taqi Jaqataei, head of the Iranian Neuroscience Society. Links between cesarean deliveries and autism risk is possible, he said. However, “we cannot say for sure that c-section per se can cause autism.” It is more likely that autism is related to unknown genetic or environmental factors that lead to increased risks of both autism and c-section childbirth, ISNA quoted him as saying.
At present, 3,000 people with autism have been identified in the country, but it is estimated that the actual figure could be much higher.
