Environment

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.

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.