Prenatal and birth factors associated with child autism diagnosis: a birth cohort perspective

Autism spectrum disorder (autism) is a multifactorial condition. Here we report on multiple prenatal environmental, demographic, maternal and pregnancy factors that are associated with an increased likelihood of an autism diagnosis. For example, adherence to the Australian Dietary Guidelines during pregnancy is linked to a reduced likelihood of autism in the offspring, consistent with mounting evidence that prenatal nutrition impacts brain development. We examine how the multiple risk factors, identified by our comprehensive approach, may be linked to shared biological mechanisms. Future work should examine composite exposure measures acting through shared mechanisms as a more productive approach to understanding aetiology than focusing solely on individual exposures.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Pediatric Research
Published
2026-01-15
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-025-04747-x
Primary Topic
Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Prenatal and birth factors associated with child autism diagnosis: a birth cohort perspective

Chloe J. Love, Luba Sominsky, Katherine Drummond, Christos Symeonides et al.
Pediatric Research
Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
article

Prenatal and birth factors associated with child autism diagnosis: a birth cohort perspective

Chloe J. Love, Luba Sominsky, Katherine Drummond, Christos Symeonides, Martin O’Hely, David Burgner, Peter D. Sly, Mimi LK Tang, Lada Holland, Toby Mansell, Samantha L. Dawson, the BIS Investigator group, Wolfgang Marx, Sarah Thomson, Anne-Louise Ponsonby, Richard Saffery, Sarath Ranganathan, Leonard C. Harrison
article en

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder (autism) is a multifactorial condition. Here we report on multiple prenatal environmental, demographic, maternal and pregnancy factors that are associated with an increased likelihood of an autism diagnosis. For example, adherence to the Australian Dietary Guidelines during pregnancy is linked to a reduced likelihood of autism in the offspring, consistent with mounting evidence that prenatal nutrition impacts brain development. We examine how the multiple risk factors, identified by our comprehensive approach, may be linked to shared biological mechanisms. Future work should examine composite exposure measures acting through shared mechanisms as a more productive approach to understanding aetiology than focusing solely on individual exposures.

Pediatric Research
Barwon Health (AU), Royal Children's Hospital (AU), Deakin University (AU), The University of Queensland (AU), The University of Melbourne (AU), Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (AU), Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health (AU), Walk Free Foundation (AU), Murdoch Children's Research Institute (AU), Minderoo Foundation
Good health and well-being
Openalex Percentile: Top 87%
Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.