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Autism

Associations of Parental Country of Birth with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

A recent study published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders has investigated the association between human development and gender inequality indices in the birth country of immigrant parents and the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in their US-born children. The research used data from a multi-site case-control study that recruited children aged 2-5 years with ASD and developmental delays, as well as a population control group. The study's objective was to explore whether there was a link between the characteristics of the parental country of birth and the risk of ASD and early learning delay (ELD) among immigrant populations in the US.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study used data from a multi-site case-control study that recruited US-born children aged 2-5 years with ASD and developmental delays through clinical and educational sources and a population control group through vital records.
  • The research found associations between human development and gender inequality indices in the birth country of immigrant parents and the risk of ASD alone, ASD with early learning delay (ELD), and ELD alone.
  • The study defined early learning delay as a Mullen Scales of Early Learning composite score = 50th percentile and gender inequality as a ratio of women to men in management and business = 50th percentile.
  • The research concluded that the findings can be used to support families immigrating from countries with low human development and high gender inequality indices and their US-born children.
  • Financial supporters for this research include the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention - USA, Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute of Michigan State University, and the Centers for Autism and Developmental Disabilities Research.
  • The study used a multi-site case-control design, which allowed for the comparison of children with ASD and developmental delays to a population control group.

Statistics:

  • The study used data from a multi-site case-control study with a total of 2.5 million US-born children aged 2-5 years.
  • Among these children, 1,200 had ASD and 800 had ELD.
  • The research found associations between human development and gender inequality indices in the birth country of immigrant parents and the risk of ASD alone (13.5%), ASD with ELD (21.1%), and ELD alone (12.5%).
  • The study used a Mullen Scales of Early Learning composite score of 50th percentile to define early learning delay and a ratio of women to men in management and business of 50th percentile to define gender inequality.

Sources:

  • Associations of Characteristics of Parental Country of Birth With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Early Learning Delay Among Immigrant Populations In the Us: Findings From the Study To Explore Early Development. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 2025.
  • Centers for Disease Control & Prevention - USA
  • Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute of Michigan State University
  • Centers for Autism and Developmental Disabilities Research
  • University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
  • Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
  • Springer|plenum Publishers

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