Does Treatment of Premature Labor With Terbutaline Increase the Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorders?

Autism Spectrum Disorders are not linked to β-2-Adrenergic Receptor Agonists Treatment for Preterm Labor/Asthma

“…They even quoted Brent at al. [16] as "supporting their supposition, " when in fact the Brent article says just the opposite; there is not an association between β-2AR's and ASD. Furthermore the article by Gidaya et al [20] did not account for prematurity which is the most important pregnancy related factor with regard to ASD.…”

“…Witter et al [14] performed a clinical literature review regarding preterm labor treatment stimulated by a basic science hypothesis that exposure to β-2AR drugs led to brain lesions in rats [15]. In an invited response by the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the noted teratologist, Brent et al [16] debunked the hypothesis that β-2AR was in anyway related to ASD. Furthermore, in a response to a letter to the editor by Brent et al noted that in the original article [14] much of the evidence claimed by Witter et al "was not present in the references cited or conflicted with the actual results reported in their literature" [17].…”

“…Imagine, if you will, our chagrin, upon reading a recent article in Pediatrics [20] regarding a case control study which used an outpatient population registry where they "demonstrated an association" between β-2AR's and ASD. Unfortunately many of the same references previously refuted by Brent et al [16,17] were used to bolster their findings. They even quoted Brent at al.…”

Autism is Not Caused by Terbutaline

“…Basic science work by Owens, et al [12] and editorial comments on the Witter article by Rodier et al [13]. Found that the animal and human "evidence" presented was not persuasive of alinkage between the use of beta agonist drugs and ASD.…”

Terbutaline and other beta-agonist drugs do not cause autism spectrum disorders

“…By this convoluted hypothesis, early receptor stimulation by terbutaline might affect receptor function during postnatal life and such changes might have a relationship to ASD. The evidence for such a relationship was reviewed by Rodier et al 14 and they found terbutaline, used for tocolysis or asthma, either in the animal or in human studies, had no relationship with ASD in the offspring. The animal work was further assessed by Owens et al 15 who confirmed in the rat model that pharmacologic grade (not for human consumption) terbutaline did indeed result in cerebral lesions in the rat offspring.…”