Children with congenital heart disease have an increased likelihood of autism. Why?

A handful of scientists are committed to advancing research on the autism-related genetic conditions their own children have.

Too little — or too much — of certain substances during pregnancy may increase the odds of having a child with autism. Here we explain what scientists know about these associations.

Women who receive epidural anesthesia during labor have an elevated chance of having a child with autism, a new study has found. But it is too soon for doctors to recommend against epidurals, experts say.

High blood pressure during pregnancy may raise a woman’s chances of having an autistic child.

Pregnant women’s use of acetaminophen may increase the odds of autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in their children.

A child’s risk of autism is slightly elevated if a parent or sibling has asthma or an autoimmune disease.

Understanding the interactions between the placenta and the uterine lining could explain how maternal immune activation leads to autism.

A cell atlas and a cell-culture method promise to advance scientists’ understanding of the placenta and its effects on a fetus.

Chronic exposure to inflammation in the womb alters autism gene expression and disrupts social behavior in male mice, but not females.