Having older parents, a difficult birth, or infections during pregnancy are all examples of factors that might increase the risk for having ASD. Beyond these factors, certain people are at higher risk than others. For example, ASD is four times more common in males than females.
Does The Father Or Mother Carry The Autism Gene? Autism was always thought to have a maternal inheritance component, however, research suggests that the rarer variants associated with the disorder are usually inherited from the father.
The disorder occurs in every racial and ethnic group, and across all socioeconomic levels. However, boys are significantly more likely to develop ASD than girls. A main biological difference between boys and girls is the sex chromosomes.
A substantial amount of research shows a higher rate of autistic type of problems in males compared to females. The 4:1 male to female ratio is one of the most consistent findings in autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
They include: having a twin or older sibling with autism. older parental age at the time of conception. brain growth disruptions in early development.
Advances in diagnostic capabilities and greater understanding and awareness of autism spectrum disorder seem to be largely driving the increase, the Rutgers researchers said. But there's probably more to the story: Genetic factors, and perhaps some environmental ones, too, might also be contributing to the trend.
High levels of stress during pregnancy may also be connected to autism in children. This connection appears to have the most impact when the parent experiences stress between weeks 25 and 28 of pregnancy.
Having a family health history of ASD makes you more likely to have a child with ASD, or to have ASD yourself. If you have a child with ASD, you are more likely to have another child with ASD, especially if you have a daughter with ASD or more than one child with ASD.
“Firstborn offspring of two older parents,” Durkin's study noted, “were three times more likely to develop autism than were third- or later-born offspring of mothers aged twenty to thirty-four and fathers aged under forty years.”
Autism is not caused by malnutrition or food-related challenges, but, for many people, there is a connection between autism and food. Research suggests that food-related challenges have a significant impact on many people who are diagnosed on the autism spectrum.
Due to its lower prevalence in females, autism was always thought to have a maternal inheritance component. However, research also suggests that the rarer variants associated with autism are mostly inherited from the father. Ultimately, autism is a complex condition with 100s of genes involved.
Inheritance. ASD has a tendency to run in families, but the inheritance pattern is usually unknown. People with gene changes associated with ASD generally inherit an increased risk of developing the condition, rather than the condition itself.
For an individual, the risk of autism is increased 10 fold if a full sibling has the diagnosis and about 2 fold if a cousin has the diagnosis. These findings may inform counseling families with affected children.
Previous twin and family studies have shown that ASD has a strong genetic component, with a heritability of about 80%. A genetics work-up is recommended for all children with ASD.
Roughly 3 to 5% of children with an aunt or uncle with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can also be expected to have ASD, compared to about 1.5% of children in the general population, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health.
According to a study published in Molecular Autism, children born to mothers with autism have a 5.4% chance of also being diagnosed with the disorder, while children born to fathers with autism have only a 1.5% chance.
The earliest study we were able to identify that examined month of birth in association with autism was published in 1981. The investigator compared the birth patterns of 810 children with autism with those of 768 live birth controls and found that children with autism have an excess of March and August births.
The results of studies vary from 5 to 400 percent. One 2017 study based on whole-genome sequencing of nearly 5,000 people suggests that parents in their mid-40s are 5 to 10 percent more likely to have a child with autism than are 20-year-old parents.
One study found that the chance of having ASD for children born to parents who are in their thirties is up to 10 percent higher than parents who are 25 to 29 years old. The same researchers found that the chance of developing ASD is 50 percent higher when the parents are in their 40s or 50s.
In the United States, prenatal genetic testing (PGT) for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is currently available via clinical genetic services. Such testing may inform parents about their unborn child's risk for ASD, prepare parents for the birth of an affected infant, and allow them to arrange for early interventions.
A routine prenatal ultrasound can identify early signs of autism, study finds. Summary: A routine prenatal ultrasound in the second trimester can identify early signs of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), a new study has found.
Advanced parental age at time of conception. Prenatal exposure to air pollution or certain pesticides. Maternal obesity, diabetes, or immune system disorders. Extreme prematurity or very low birth weight.
Air pollution. A 2022 study found that exposure to air pollution during all three trimesters of pregnancy increased the risk of ASD, especially in babies assigned male at birth.
While autism is never caused by trauma, there may be something about living with autism that is inherently traumatic.