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Spectrum: Autism Research News

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Environment

From parental age to infection during pregnancy, environmental elements can influence autism risk.

November 2016
chart of seasonal rates

Autism rates highest among babies conceived in winter

by  /  10 November 2016

Exposure to influenza and a lack of sunlight may drive the increased risk of autism.

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October 2016

Parental age has different impact on autism, schizophrenia

by  /  31 October 2016

Children born to parents who are 35 or older are at an increased risk of autism; for schizophrenia, the increased risk is limited to those born to mothers in their teens or early 20s.

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Webinar: Alysson Muotri discusses stem cell research in autism

 /  19 October 2016

Watch the complete replay of Alysson Muotri, whose webinar focuses on how stem cell research can provide insight into human neurodevelopment and the social brain.

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MIND Institute

The builders: How parents shaped autism research

by  /  5 October 2016

A group of savvy parents jump-started autism research in California, but they also set the research agenda.

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Banned toxins in mothers’ blood tied to autism risk

by  /  3 October 2016

High levels of chemicals called polychlorinated biphenyls in a pregnant woman’s blood may raise the risk of autism in her child.

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August 2016

Type, timing of maternal infection influence autism link

by  /  25 August 2016

Only a small fraction of women who battle infections during pregnancy have children with autism, suggesting that some infections are riskier than others.

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July 2016

Study links immune, metabolic theories of autism

by  /  20 July 2016

Rare antibodies associated with autism are unusually common among women who developed diabetes while pregnant with a child who has autism.

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‘Science junkie’ bets big on autism’s environmental origins

by  /  18 July 2016

Jill Escher is on a mission to spur research into how chemicals in the environment may influence risk for autism.

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Serotonin may mediate effects of infection in the womb

by  /  6 July 2016

Infection during pregnancy may blunt the growth of neurons in the fetus by boosting levels of the chemical messenger serotonin.

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June 2016

Questions for Robert Joseph: How extreme prematurity ups autism risk

by  /  21 June 2016

Autism is four times more prevalent among extremely premature babies than in the general population.

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