The researchers used the feces of the mice in the first group to perform a fecal transplant on the mice in the second group to verify that this was caused by the group’s distinct microbiota.

Here, the goal is to alter the second group’s microflora to more closely match the first. As anticipated, the second group’s pups later developed a neurological disorder resembling autism.

Although these are early studies and might not apply to human pregnancies, they do present an intriguing line of inquiry for autism research and offer compelling evidence that the mother’s gut health contributes to the development of neurodevelopmental disorders to some extent.

The next step, according to Lukens, is to determine what aspect of the mother’s microbiome is linked to the development of autism and see whether they can find such correlations in people.

There are a number of more molecules to look at. IL-17a might be a single component in a much bigger picture, Lukens suggested.