A recent study has found that a family history of mental and neurological disorders is associated with an increased risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The study included over 567,000 participants, with 51.3% being male and a mean age of 14.3 years at the end of follow-up. The odds ratio for individuals with ASD and a family history of ASD was higher, indicating a greater likelihood of having ASD themselves.
The odds ratio for first-degree relatives with ASD-No ID was 4.1 for individuals with ASD-ID and 9.0 for individuals with ASD-No ID. The odds ratio for first-degree relatives with ASD-ID was 14.2 for individuals with ASD-ID and 3.8 for individuals with ASD-No ID. This means that having first-degree relatives with ASD-ID significantly increases the odds of having ASD, with a higher odds ratio for individuals with ASD-ID compared to ASD-No ID.
Furthermore, the study found high odds ratios for mental disorders in relatives, including intellectual disability, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder, and personality disorder. Neurological disorders such as cerebral palsy and epilepsy also showed increased odds ratios in relatives.
The study also revealed that adolescents with ASD have an increased likelihood of having a co-occurring gender dysphoria diagnosis. Additionally, neonates with atrial septal defects were found to have larger ventricular dimensions 30 days after birth. Maternal labor epidural analgesia (LEA) was associated with an increased risk of ASD in children.
Overall, this study highlights the importance of considering a family history of mental and neurological disorders when assessing the risk of ASD. The familial component differs based on the presence of co-occurring intellectual disability. However, it is important to note that the study did not adjust for comorbidity and family history, and data on all relevant disorders were not obtained.
Disclosures: Multiple authors declared disclosures. Please refer to reference for a complete list of authors’ disclosures.
Reference
Xie S, Karlsson H, Dalman C, et al. Family history of mental and neurological disorders and risk of autism. JAMA Netw Open. 2019;2(3):e190154.
