Autism is estimated to affect 1 out of every 88 children born in the United States.
Now a new study says having a fever or the flu for a week during pregnancy doubles the chances of a child being born with the disease.
Mothers who reported having a flu had the risk of having a child with autism increase from one to two percent.
Those who had a fever that lasted a week or more before their third trimester were three times more likely to have a child with autism.
While the study does not suggest that the flu or high fever causes autism, many experts said it does reinforce recommendations that all pregnant women should get a flu shot.
The findings were part of an exploratory study which was designed to look for topics to study further.
