Table 2.

Risk factors for ASD

Categories	Risk factors
Genetic/familial	Specific genetic syndromes/risk variants Male sex First-degree relative or other family history of ASD
Prenatal	Older parental age (≥35 years) Maternal obesity, diabetes, or hypertension In utero exposure to valproate, pesticide, or traffic-related air pollution Maternal infections (e.g., rubella) Close spacing of pregnancies (<12 months)
Postnatal	Low birth weight Extreme prematurity

Data drawn from references (10–19).

ASD Autism spectrum disorder.