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Autism recurrence risk — the probability of an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis in a younger sibling of an affected child — has been documented at 6% to 19% in prior studies (NEJM JW Pediatr and Adolesc Med Oct 2011 and Pediatrics 2011; 128:e488 and NEJM JW Pediatr and Adolesc Med Nov 2013 and JAMA Pediatr 2013; 167:947). ASD is known to occur four times as often in males, yet sex-specific recurrence risk among younger siblings is unclear.
To address this issue, researchers reviewed an Aetna administrative database containing diagnostic billing codes between 2008 and 2016 to identify two-child families with an older child diagnosed with ASD who had a younger sibling.
Of more than 3 million children in such families (mean age, 4–18 yea…