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How is parental age associated with autism spectrum disorder risk?
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autism
American artist Chris Murray, who has autism, at work.
Research indicates that both maternal and paternal age at the time of conception are environmental factors associated with an increased risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).12
Regarding maternal age, studiesāsuch as an analysis of births in Californiaāhave shown that mothers aged 40 or older face the highest risk of having a child who develops autism.1
The association with paternal age is more nuanced; research suggests that older paternal age serves as a risk factor specifically when the mother is 30 years of age or younger. While these age-related correlations have been identified, the underlying biological reasons for these associations remain unclear.1