Higher maternal age predicts risk of autism

April 26, 2012 in Autism spectrum disorders

In a study published in the May 2012 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, led by Mr. Sven Sandin, of the Karolinska Institutet, Sweden and King's College London, researchers analyzed past studies to investigate possible associations between maternal age and autism. While much research has been done to identify potential genetic causes of autism, this analysis suggests that non-heritable and environmental factors may also play a role in children's risk for autism.

The researchers compared the risk of autism in different groups of material age (under 20, 24-29, 30-34, and 35+). They found that children of mothers older than 35 years had 30% increased risk for autism. Children of mothers under 20 had the lowest risk of developing autism. The association between advancing maternal age and risk for autism was stronger for and children diagnosed in more recent years.

The analysis included 25,687 cases of and over 8.6 million control subjects, drawn from the 16 epidemiological papers that fit inclusion criteria for the study as defined by the investigators. The researchers identified and discussed several potential underlying causes of the association between maternal age and risk for autism such as increased occurrence of during the aging process and the effects of exposure to over time.

Sandin said of the study, "The study makes us confident there is an increased risk for autism associated with older maternal age, even though we do not know what the mechanism is. It has been observed in high quality studies from different countries, including the US. All studies controlled for paternal age which is an for autism. This finding adds to the understanding that older age of the parents could have consequences to the health of their children."

More information: The article "Advancing Maternal Age Is Associated With Increasing Risk for Autism: A Review and Meta-Analysis" by Sven Sandin, Christina M. Hultman, Alexander Kolevzon, Raz Gross, James H. MacCabe, Abraham Reichenberg, (doi: 10.1016/j.jaac.2012.02.018) appears in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Volume 51, Issue 5 (May 2012)

Journal reference: Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry search and more info website

Provided by Elsevier search and more info website

not rated yet  

Rank not rated yet
Relevant PhysicsForums posts

More news stories

Enrichment therapy effective among children with autism, study finds

Children with autism showed significant improvement after six months of simple sensory exercises at home using everyday items such as scents, spoons and sponges, according to UC Irvine neurobiologists.

Autism spectrum disorders created May 21, 2013 | popularity 3 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Researcher helps give children with autism the chance to communicate

Research by Victoria University PhD education graduand Larah van der Meer highlights the importance of understanding the communication preferences of children with developmental disabilities such as autism.

Autism spectrum disorders created May 14, 2013 | popularity 3.3 / 5 (3) | comments 1

Developers dive in to create a wealth of autism apps

At times, Andy Shih still finds himself overwhelmed by the groundswell of interest in autism applications he's seen in the three years since Apple Inc. released the first iPad.

Autism spectrum disorders created May 09, 2013 | popularity 2 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Enhanced motion perception in autism may point to an underlying cause of the disorder

Children with autism see simple movement twice as quickly as other children their age, and this hypersensitivity to motion may provide clues to a fundamental cause of the developmental disorder, according ...

Autism spectrum disorders created May 08, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Autism scientists seek more brains to aid research

(AP)—Autism scientists are seeking more brain samples for research.

Autism spectrum disorders created May 02, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0


Controlling mood through the motions of mitochondria

(Medical Xpress)—Regulating the distribution of power in neurons is done by a system that makes the national electric grid look simple by comparison. Each neuron has several thousand mitochondria confined ...

ACP issues recommendations for management of high blood glucose in hospitalized patients

High blood glucose is associated with poor outcomes in hospitalized patients, and use of intensive insulin therapy (IIT) to control hyperglycemia is a common practice in hospitals. But the recent evidence does not show a ...

Motion quotient: IQ predicted by ability to filter motion (w/ video)

A brief visual task can predict IQ, according to a new study. This surprisingly simple exercise measures the brain's unconscious ability to filter out visual movement. The study shows that individuals whose ...

Multiple research teams unable to confirm high-profile Alzheimer's study

Teams of highly respected Alzheimer's researchers failed to replicate what appeared to be breakthrough results for the treatment of this brain disease when they were published last year in the journal Science.

Scientists discover molecule triggers sensation of itch

Scientists at the National Institutes of Health report they have discovered in mouse studies that a small molecule released in the spinal cord triggers a process that is later experienced in the brain as ...

Researchers find common childhood asthma unconnected to allergens or inflammation

Little is known about why asthma develops, how it constricts the airway or why response to treatments varies between patients. Now, a team of researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College, Columbia University Medical Center ...