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Thalidomide
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Time of critical exposure: 20 to 24 days after conception
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Misoprostol
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Time of critical exposure: first trimester, near sixth week after conception. Used for illegal abortion.
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Valproic acid
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Time of critical exposure: first 3 to 4 weeks after conception. Neural tube defects, cardiac malformations, craniofacial malformation.
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Rubella infection
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Time of critical exposure: infection during the first 8 weeks
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Chlorpyrifos
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Pesticide used at home, school, community and farms
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Organochlorated pesticides
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Dicofol and endosulfan exposure. First to eighth weeks. Correlation between maternal residence near agricultural pesticide exposure and autism.
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Prenatal, neonatal and perinatal factors
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Advanced maternal and/or paternal age (mother > 35; father > 40); bleeding during pregnancy; forceps or vacuum delivery; prolonged labor; low birth weight (< 2500 g); respiratory distress syndrome; meconium aspiration syndrome; preterm birth at < 33 weeks; breech presentation; gestational age < 35 weeks; mothers who used medicine during pregnancy
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Maternal immigration/mother born abroad
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Increased risk of ASD according to region and ethnicity; more risk in Caribbean and African-American populations
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Daily smoking in early pregnancy
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The risk of autism is associated with daily smoking in early pregnancy
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β2-Adrenergic receptor agonist
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Used to treat premature labor. Continuous terbutaline exposure for 2 weeks had increased risk for ASD.
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Birth defects
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Associated with a near twofold increased risk for autism overall
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Chlorinated solvents and heavy metals
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Association between autism and estimated concentrations in ambient air around birth residence. Increased risk for solvent and metals (mercury, cadmium, nickel, trichloroethylene and vinyl chloride).
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Parental psychiatric history
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Parental psychopathology is associated with risk of autism and effective disorders
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Alcohol and drugs
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It is very unlikely that there is a strong association between prenatal alcohol exposure and autism
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High parental education
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Families with higher education background will seek services, thus reporting a child with autism
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Lack of omega 3 fatty acids
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Studies showed link between childhood development disorders and omega-6, omega-3 imbalances
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Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection
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Timing of injury to the developing brain by CMV may be in the third trimester in some patients with ASD
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Singleton and concordant multiple births
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Results indicated that ASD-concordant multiple births in boys tended to be higher than expected in March, May and September, but were 87% less in December, as compared with January
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Maternal autoimmune disorders
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Maternal autoimmune disorders in women around the time of pregnancy are unlikely to contribute significantly to risk of autism (case-control study)
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Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) (case report)
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Autistic behavior has not been previously associated with FAS. No statistical data, however it raises awareness that FAS could be a risk factor that should be evaluated by physicians.
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Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia
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Not a risk factor associated with ASD. Children with any degree of bilirubin level elevation were not at increased risk of ASD.
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Antenatal ultrasound
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Antenatal ultrasound is unlikely to increase the risk of ASD (case-control study)
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Ammonium perchlorate
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No reports of risk found
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Mercury (vaccines)
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No risk found
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Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccination
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No evidence that supports MMR vaccination relationship with autism
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