Researchers and clinicians were quick to point out the flaws in the study, and a flood of work refuted it.

A study published last week in JAMA Pediatrics suggests that autism is more common among people born in areas with high levels of lithium in drinking water, but it is too soon to say whether prenatal lithium exposure is truly a concern.

The changes may help explain the link between maternal infection and autism, though more research is needed.

Postmortem brain samples from people with one of six conditions, including autism, show distinct signatures of over- and underexpression of immune genes.

Blocking the enzyme, called TOP2A, in embryos makes the animals less inclined to seek companionship later in life.

This month’s newsletter highlights findings on the use of three medication types during pregnancy.

Having an infection during pregnancy is tied to a small increase in the chances of having an autistic child, but the connection may not be causal.

The long-standing link between maternal infection during pregnancy and having a child with autism may reflect common genetic or environmental factors instead.

Sleep disruption early in life has long-lasting consequences for mice missing a copy of the autism-linked gene SHANK3.

When Van de Water isn’t busy mentoring “the next generation of scientists” in her lab, she finds time to paint, watch HGTV and hang out with her horse, Hank.