Dr Maureen Durkin and colleagues from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health carried out a study on the age of parents when they had there first born child and the chance of the first born child having Autism.  The peer reviewed study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology shows a suprising pattern.

The researchers found a link between increasing parental age and odds of ‘diagnosis’ of autistic spectrum disorder by age eight. First-born children to mothers aged 35 years and over who also had fathers aged 40 years and over were at the greatest risk of autism (triple the likelihood). This was compared with children who were third or more in order of birth to younger parents (mother aged 20-34 years and father younger than 40 years). In separate analyses, there were generally “modest” links between autism and other parental age groups and other birth orders, ranging from 1.4 times as likely to 2.3 times.

According to NHS, The researchers conclude that these results provide the “most compelling evidence to date that autistic spectrum disorder risk is linked to both maternal and paternal age, and decreases with birth order”. They say that the increased risk of autism with both maternal and paternal age has implications for public health planning.

I never really thought of the age of parents as a factor in the likelyhood of Autism, and I’m anxious to hear what other people in the Autistic Community have to say.

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