older moms, older dads, more pollutants -> more autism

[Guest guest]

Note that the study does NOT claim that ALL of the increase in

autism-rate is due to parental age. I find myself wondering if older

parents of newborns are more likely to have the infant fully vaccinated?

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Older moms and dads might be a reason for more autism.

Dec 24, 2008

Women who give birth after age 35 and men who father children after age

40 increase their risk of having autistic children, according to a large

population-based study in the US. Accumulated environmental pollutants

in the body and the damage caused by them are offered as possible

explanations for the increased risk. One potential cause is chemicals

that damage cell DNA, including those pollutants that the parents were

exposed to when they were developing in the womb.

more...

<http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/newscience/older-moms-and-dads-might\

-be-a-reason-for-more-autism/>

Durkin MS et al. 2008. *

Advanced parental age and the risk of autism spectrum disorder*.

American Journal of Epidemology doi:10.1093/aje/kwn250

<http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/168/11/1268>.