Autism might be equally common in males and females, study says

February 5, 2026 12:36 PM

Autism might be equally common in males and females, study says

Autism might be just as common in females as in males, according to a study published on Wednesday that counters prevailing estimates of the disorder's prevalence. While the neurological and developmental condition is known to be more common in boys at younger ages, the study found a clear catch-up effect among adolescent girls, the researchers reported in The BMJ. The findings highlight a need to investigate why autism spectrum disorders are diagnosed later in females than in males, they said...

Paracetamol/Tylenol in pregnancy is safe, says European research

January 18, 2026 9:44 AM

Paracetamol/Tylenol in pregnancy is safe, says European research

Taking paracetamol, known as Tylenol in the U.S., during pregnancy is safe, a group of European researchers have said, after compiling data in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s claims of a link to autism last year. In a review published in the British journal The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Women’s Health on Saturday, the team said they had focused on amassing the best-quality evidence to address the claims. “Paracetamol is safe to use in pregnancy,” said lead author A...

Personal bias, blind belief driving vaccine-autism link, say health experts

October 30, 2025 11:02 AM

Personal bias, blind belief driving vaccine-autism link, say health experts

Personal bias and blind belief are once again fuelling the claim that childhood vaccines increase the risk of autism — a neurological condition — health experts said on Wednesday. Recently, a self-published report by the US-based McCullough Foundation claimed that vaccination is “the most significant preventable driver” of autism. The report, which has not been peer-reviewed, has gained attention among anti-vaccine campaigners, including Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu. “There are many p...

Explained: Why are autism rates rising?

September 11, 2025 1:44 PM

Explained: Why are autism rates rising?

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has pledged to reveal steps he says will mitigate rising autism rates later this month, alongside an expected announcement of $50 million in grant awards for longer-term research into potential causes of the disorder and the effectiveness of current treatments. The funds will come from the Autism Data Science Initiative, launched in June by the National Institutes of Health. The program will provide up to $5 million each for 10 to 25 projects that wi...

Study finds repetitive behaviors and special interests more indicative of autism than social deficits

March 28, 2025 12:13 PM

Study finds repetitive behaviors and special interests more indicative of autism than social deficits

Autism diagnosis is typically based on clinical observation and assessment, a process that can be complex and subjective. To refine this approach, researchers leveraged a large language model (LLM) to determine which behaviours and observations are most strongly associated with an autism diagnosis. Their results show that repetitive behaviours, special interests, and perception-based behaviors are most strongly associated with an autism diagnosis. These findings have the potential to improve di...

Why are autism rates rising?

January 14, 2025 9:30 PM

Why are autism rates rising?

Autism spectrum disorder is a neurological and developmental condition marked by disruptions in brain-signaling that cause people to behave, communicate, interact, and learn in atypical ways. Autism diagnoses in the United States have increased significantly since 2000, intensifying public concern over what might contribute to its prevalence. Here is what you need to know. HOW IS AUTISM DIAGNOSED? There are no objective tools for diagnosing autism such as blood tests or brain scans. Instead, ...

Indian-origin researcher identifies gene linked to autism and seizures

January 9, 2025 4:29 PM

Indian-origin researcher identifies gene linked to autism and seizures

A team of researchers, led by Indian-origin neuroscientist and researcher Viji Santhakumar, has identified a gene that contributes to the behavioural changes associated with autism spectrum disorder and epilepsy. The gene, called neuropilin2, encodes a receptor involved in cell-cell interactions in the brain and plays a crucial role in regulating the development of neural circuits. The study, published in Nature Molecular Psychiatry, provides a pathway for future treatments aimed at alleviatin...