Environment

A woman who smokes while pregnant may increase autism risk in her daughter’s children.

A mother’s immune response to a severe infection during pregnancy disrupts the expression of autism genes in her child, a rat study suggests.

Children born to parents who are unusually young or old stand an increased chance of having features of autism or other psychiatric conditions.

Increased autism risk among children exposed to antidepressants in utero may be related less to the medications than to the mothers’ depression.

A large study finds that certain health complications during pregnancy or delivery increase the chances of having a child with autism by 26 percent or more.

The absence of an autism-linked gene, combined with exposure to a mock infection, produces social deficits in mice — but only in males.

Babies who have their first bowel movement before birth have a slightly increased risk of autism, according to a study of nearly 10 million people.