Autism runs deeper in families than previously thought
A new study has found that if you have an autistic child, there is a 19 percent chance your next child with also be diagnosed with autism.
This is higher than the 3 to 10 percent originally thought. (See a full Los Angeles Times story here.)
In the study, published in the journal Pediatrics, boys have a 26 percent chance of having autism if they have an older sibling with the neurobiological condition. Girls have a 9 percent chance.
The gender of the older sibling didn’t matter. But having more than one older sibling with autism further increased the chance to 32 percent.
With cases being reported more often, other researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health are also studying causes. For now, scientists don’t know what causes the disorder that affects social interactions and communications.
That study is looking at siblings to explore genetic and environmental factors that may contribute. It’s called the Early Autism Risk Longitudinal Investigation, and it began last fall.
For now, the study released today may help parents who are deciding on having more children.
Comments
"A new study has found that if you have an autistic child, there is a 19 percent chance your next child with also be diagnosed with autism."
This doesn't necessarily indicate a genetic link -- it could be the environment in the mother's womb that causes autism. Genetic certainly play a factor but they don't tell the whole story.
Posted by: Jeff | August 15, 2011 3:28 PM
Readers may be interested to know that Baltimore families enrolled in baby sibling studies through the Kennedy Krieger Institute actually took part in this international, multi-site study.
You can learn more about other autism research studies at Kennedy Krieger that are currently in need of participants by visiting http://kennedykrieger.org/kki_misc.jsp?pid=5621.
Posted by: Elise Welker | August 16, 2011 9:51 AM