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Autism is occasionally associated with a specific etiology, such as fragile X syndrome or tuberous sclerosis. More often, its origin is unknown. Studies on the association between advanced maternal age and autism have yielded mixed results, and the few studies on the effect of paternal age have been limited by their design. In a historical, population-based cohort study, investigators examined the association between advancing parental age and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in offspring.
The cohort included all Jewish people born in Israel during 6 years in the 1980s. The Israeli draft board registry provided parental age at birth of offspring and diagnostic outcomes of the children at age 17, based on routine medical and developmental scree…