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A routine ultrasound during the second trimester “can identify early signs of autism spectrum disorder” (ASD), according to a new study by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and Soroka Medical Center in Israel.

Researchers from the university’s Azrieli National Centre for Autism and Neurodevelopment Research looked at data from hundreds of ultrasound anatomy scans, ScienceDaily reported.

Prenatal anatomy scans, which typically take place between 18 and 22 weeks, can reveal a baby’s sex – if parents want to know – as well as the development of the brain, face, heart, spine and other major organs.

Researchers found there were irregularities in the heart, kidneys and head in 30 percent of fetuses who later developed ASD, according to the university’s statement. This was three times higher than typically developing fetuses in the general population.

“Doctors can use these signs, [discernible] during a routine ultrasound, to evaluate the probability of the child being born with ASD,” said Professor Idan Menashe, who led the research, according to ScienceDaily.

However, more “robust” data is needed “about abnormalities in fetuses later developing into children diagnosed with ASD,” according to the study’s abstract in the journal “Brain.”

“Anomalies were detected more often in girls than in boys and the severity of the anomalies was also linked to the subsequent severity of ASD,” according to the study.

This is noteworthy, as ASD has typically been diagnosed at a much greater rate in boys versus girls. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has estimated that “boys were 4 times as likely to be identified with ASD as girls.” A meta-analysis of 54 studies found that the ratio is closer to 3 to 1.

“There appears to be a diagnostic gender bias, meaning that girls who meet criteria for ASD are at disproportionate risk of not receiving a clinical diagnosis,” according to “What Is the Male-to-Female Ratio in Autism Spectrum Disorder? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis,” which was published in the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in 2017.

But, the research has potential for improving diagnosis for all genders. The CDC currently notes that while ASD can sometimes be detected at 18 months or younger, a diagnosis after age 2 is more reliable. Prenatal diagnoses could significantly improve outcomes.

ScienceDaily noted that “A previous study of the Center found early diagnosis and treatment increased social ability [in individuals with ASD] by three times as much.” 

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