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Polycystic Ovary Syndrome May Be Linked To Autism, Study Says

BOSTON (CBS) -- There is a new study that may be troubling to some moms or moms-to-be.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) causes an imbalance of hormones and interferes with a woman's ovaries. It is the No. 1 cause of infertility among women. And it is common, affecting up to 8 percent of women overall.

Now, researchers in Sweden have found an association between PCOS and autism, suggesting that children born to women with the condition are at a 59% greater risk of developing autism.

Experts caution this is just one study showing a possible link and does not prove that PCOS causes autism.

It's important to remember that there may be a host of conditions, environmental exposures, and genetic variations that may contribute to the development of autism.

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