Autism and the obstetrician What you need to know about recent research on genetic causes and prevention

摘要

I first suspected that the diagnosis of childhood autism and related disorders was increasing when I was practicing in New York City. Between 1992 and 2002 I noticed a remarkable increase in reports by my patients that their children, usually boys, had been diagnosed with the condition. I certainly had a high-risk population, including many cases of advanced parental age and frequent twin gestations. I did wonder if this trend resulted from overtesting and overdiagnosis among the children of affluent, high-achieving, anxious older parents concerned that their children were not performing at the 99th percentile or whether I was witnessing an epidemic brought on by some significant environmental exposure.