Environment

About 81 percent of autism risk comes from inherited genetic factors, according to an analysis of more than 2 million children from five countries.

Exposure to inflammation in the womb may affect the brain and behavior of males and females differently.

A child’s environment exerts a strong influence on the severity of her autism, a study of identical twins suggests.

The largest-yet attempt to characterize the global diversity of the human microbiome — the population of microbes that live in our bodies — has found 4,930 species, 77 percent of which were previously unknown.

Despite the hype around a new study, it may be too soon to conclude that taking prenatal vitamins during pregnancy lowers the child’s chances of autism.

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

Consuming Lactobacillus reuteri, a gut microbe found in yogurt and breast milk, may enhance social interactions in three mouse models of autism.

Triggering an immune defense in newborn male mice missing a copy of TSC2, a gene linked to autism, impairs the mice’s social memory.