A new study from scientists associated with the Baby Siblings Research Consortium finds that the risk for autism spectrum disorder in children with older siblings who have autism is 18.7 percent. According to CNN, the study monitored 664 infants from infancy to 36 months who had an older brother or sister with autism. These recent findings are much higher than previous studies that found a recurrence risk of three percent to 10 percent. The risk for autism recurrence is even higher in families with more than one affected sibling–33 percent. The study also noted that male infants experienced a 26 percent risk for autism, three times greater than female infants’ risk of nine percent. Parental age, older sibling gender and birth order were not predictors of autism, in that a second child born with autism increases the third child’s risk even if the first child does not have the disorder.
Scientists point out that the study does not indicate that every family who has a child with autism will have a second child with the disorder, but that the risks are higher. Those involved in the study hope that these findings will encourage doctors and parents to monitor children more closely and recognize symptoms of autism at an earlier age if a sibling has a known diagnosis of autism. An earlier diagnosis of autism means a more successful treatment plan for a child with autism spectrum disorder.
Cappolino Dodd Krebs LLP–birth trauma lawyer
