Aspartame consumed by mothers during pregnancy or breastfeeding may be associated with autism in their male children, according to a study led by researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio).
In a case-control study, boys with autism diagnoses were three times as likely as neurotypical boys to have been born to mothers who reported consuming one or more servings per day of diet soda or comparable amounts of aspartame, the leading artificial sweetener in no-calorie drinks. However, the same association was not found for female children.