Children born to older mothers at higher risk for autism

Women who give birth after age 40 face a higher risk of having an autistic child, regardless of the father’s age, according to a comprehensive study of all births in the state of California in the 1990s. Researchers from the University of California, Davis, found that a woman who gave birth after age 40 was 50% more likely to have an autistic child compared with women who gave birth between ages 25 and 29. These findings add to previous research indicating a correlation between advanced maternal age and a child’s autism risk, but clarify how both a mother and father’s age contributes to this risk.