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Parental age and autism spectrum disorders.
Erik Thorlund Parner1, Simon Baron-Cohen, Marlene B Lauritsen
1School of Public Health, Department of Biostatistics, University of Aarhus, Bartholins Allé 2, Aarhus C, Denmark. parner@biostat.au.dk
Annals of Epidemiology
|January 27, 2012
Summary
Advanced parental age is linked to a higher risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This association persists even when accounting for shared family factors, suggesting non-genetic and non-environmental influences.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Epidemiology
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Pediatric Health
Background:
- Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition with multifactorial etiology.
- Parental age has been investigated as a potential environmental factor influencing ASD risk.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between parental age and the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
- To differentiate the contributions of shared genetic and environmental factors versus other mechanisms using sibling and cohort designs.
Main Methods:
- A nationwide cohort study of 1,311,736 singleton births in Denmark (1980-2003).
- ASD diagnoses were identified through the Danish National Psychiatric Register using ICD-8 and ICD-10 codes.
- Sibling analysis was employed to control for shared genetic and familial environmental factors.
Main Results:
- A total of 9,556 children were diagnosed with ASD.
- Both advanced maternal and paternal age were significantly associated with an increased risk of ASD.
- The risk of ASD increased with advancing age of either parent, with interactions observed between parental age groups.
Conclusions:
- Parental age is a significant risk factor for autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
- The observed association between parental age and ASD risk is not explained by shared genetic or environmental factors within families.
- Further research is needed to elucidate the specific biological mechanisms linking parental age to ASD.
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