Autism risk associated with parental age and with increasing difference in age between the parents

[SpessCaptain]

Source: http://www.nature.com/mp/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/mp201570a.html

Autism rates were 66 percent higher among children born to dads over the age of 50 than those in their 20s (and 28 percent higher for dads in their 40s), researchers found rates were 18 percent higher with teen moms than those with moms in their 20s.


Also, autism rates were 15 percent higher in children born to mothers in their 40s — and higher than usual when there were wide gaps, of 10 years or more, between parents. That was especially true when dads were between 35 and 44 and their partners were at least a decade younger.

Interesting that the age gap is a factor, the study also suggests is that autistic people often have children at an older age.

Looking at higher risk among teen moms, Rosanoff adds, scientists believe age itself might point to a “suboptimal pregnancy,” with less medical monitoring and higher health risks in general.

Also teen mothers have a higher risk.

Discuss?

 

[DuskEngine]

If we're talking about developmental autism, I found a study today which says that superior perception in infancy is linked to autistic traits later in life.

The study showed that infants with enhanced visual searching ability at 9 months old also had more emergent autism symptoms at 15 months and at 2 years. The finding suggests that the unusual perceptual ability of those infants is "intrinsically linked to the emerging autism phenotype."

muh autist master race

 

[Philosophy Zombie]

This has been known for a while now.

 

[Gensdupays]

It's not hard; just don't have kids when you're like 40.

 

[Philosophy Zombie]

My mother had an unplanned pregnancy when she was 42 and the kid's fine. Increased risk isn't the same as certainty, although I agree that it's generally better to have children when you're younger because you're much more fertile before you turn 35. As long as you accept the possibility that your child may have a disability, it's not a huge deal.

Spoiler

I did hear somewhere that older mothers are actually less likely to have children with physical deformities.

 

[Dudeofteenage]

As long as you accept the possibility that your child may have a disability, it's not a huge deal.[/spoiler]

Anybody who isn't OK with that possibility shouldn't be having kids, period

 

[Queen of Tarts]

Someone needs to send this to anti vaxxers. Just because most of them, like Jenny McCarthy, are ancient and should close their old woman legs.