Abstract
ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to examine paternal age in relation to risk of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) in a setting other than the industrialized west.DesignA case-control study of Aruban-born children (1990–2003). Cases (N = 95) were identified at the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Clinic, the only such clinic in Aruba; gender and age matched controls (N = 347) were gathered from public health records. Parental age was defined categorically (≤29, 30–39, 40–49, ≥50y). The analysis was made, using conditional logistic regression.ResultsAdvanced paternal age was associated with increased risk of ASDs in offspring. In comparison to the youngest paternal age group (≤29y), risk of autism increased 2.18 times for children born from fathers in their thirties, 2.71 times for fathers in their forties, and 3.22 thereafter.ConclusionThis study, part of the first epidemiologic study of autism in the Caribbean, contributes additional evidence, from a distinctive sociocultural setting, of the risk of ASD associated with increased paternal age.
Highlights
Major studies showing that advanced paternal age elevates risk of autism in offspring have been conducted in predominantly highincome countries (the United States (California), Denmark, Israel, Western Australia, Sweden, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom) [1,2,3,4,5,6].The mechanisms underlying the association between advanced parental age and autism risk are not yet fully understood
Advanced paternal age was associated with increased risk of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) in offspring
This study, part of the first epidemiologic study of autism in the Caribbean, contributes additional evidence, from a distinctive sociocultural setting, of the risk of ASD associated with increased paternal age
Summary
Major studies showing that advanced paternal age elevates risk of autism in offspring have been conducted in predominantly highincome countries (the United States (California), Denmark, Israel, Western Australia, Sweden, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom) [1,2,3,4,5,6].The mechanisms underlying the association between advanced parental age and autism risk are not yet fully understood. Sociocultural factors which influence age at parenting differ across countries and include factors such as immigration, access to family planning services, educational attainment, and socioeconomic status [11,12,13,14]. The significance of these sociocultural factors is difficult to evaluate due to the lack of sociocultural diversity of the major studies to date. Our aim in the current study was to examine the hypothesis that advanced paternal age increases risk of autism in the nonindustrial, ethnically diverse setting of Aruba
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