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

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.

Autism results from an interplay between genetics and the environment, but it has been tough to nail down the environmental factors involved.

Women whose children are severely autistic have lower serotonin levels than do those whose children have mild or moderate autism traits.

Taking antidepressants during pregnancy is unlikely to raise the risk of having a child with autism.

High blood pressure, preterm birth and other pregnancy complications may increase the risk of autism.