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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.

May 2020

Environmental factors unlikely to account for rise in autism prevalence

by  /  18 May 2020

The relative contributions of genetic and environmental factors to autism have held steady over multiple decades, according to a large twin study.

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Doctor checking pregnant woman's blood pressure.

Common pregnancy complication linked to increased autism odds

by  /  15 May 2020

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

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Depressed teenage girl in her bedroom.

Autistic children’s emotional problems may persist into young adulthood

by  /  1 May 2020

A study that followed 126 autistic people in England from their preteen years to age 23 found little improvement in their behavioral and emotional problems.

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March 2020
Poster session at Society for Neuroscience meeting in large conference hall

Neuroscientists call for virtual meetings to combat climate change

by  /  5 March 2020

Society for Neuroscience members are demanding sharp cuts to the carbon footprint of its annual meeting.

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January 2020
stork flying with an alarm clock, dice and a crescent moon

The link between parental age and autism, explained

by  /  28 January 2020

Older men and women are more likely than young ones to have a child with autism, but this connection is not straightforward.

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Two twin girls wearing blue kneeling down on the ground.

Early life experiences may shift severity of autism

by  /  17 January 2020

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

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Young man in textured space, environmental factors and genes swarm in and around him

Autism heritability: It probably does not mean what you think it means

by  /  7 January 2020

The question of autism’s heritability is compelling for researchers and laypeople alike, but many people in both groups misunderstand its definition.

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November 2019

Acetaminophen use in pregnancy linked to autism, attention deficit in children

by  /  28 November 2019

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

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Woman doing yoga on grass field

Vitamin D linked to lowered autism risk in large study

by  /  20 November 2019

Children born with high blood levels of vitamin D have 25 percent decreased odds of autism compared with those born with low levels.

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October 2019
white mouse

Double immune hit challenges female mice’s resistance to autism

by  /  23 October 2019

Female mice can withstand a maternal antibody that triggers brain abnormalities and autism-like behaviors in males. But additional immune challenges spell trouble.

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