ReviewInternational journal of epidemiology2014
Maternal lifestyle and environmental risk factors for autism spectrum disorders.
Review in International journal of epidemiology, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 188 papers, 9 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
188 citing papers in PubMed, 9 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 421 citations in OpenAlex.
- Global autism prevalence, and exploring Montessori as a practical educational solution: a systematic review.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025Pooled it
- Exposure to heavy metals in utero and autism spectrum disorder at age 3: a meta-analysis of two longitudinal cohorts of siblings of children with autism.Environmental health : a global access science source · 2024Pooled it
- Association between interpregnancy interval and risk of autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis.European journal of pediatrics · 2024Pooled it
- Activation of the Monocyte/Macrophage System and Abnormal Blood Levels of Lymphocyte Subpopulations in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.International journal of molecular sciences · 2022Pooled it
- Evidence of susceptibility to autism risks associated with early life ambient air pollution: A systematic review.Environmental research · 2022Pooled it
- Association between MTHFR C677T/A1298C and susceptibility to autism spectrum disorders: a meta-analysis.BMC pediatrics · 2020Pooled it
- Preconception and Prenatal Nutrition and Neurodevelopmental Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Nutrients · 2019Pooled it
- Environmental risk factors for autism spectrum disorders.Der Nervenarzt · 2016Pooled it
- Maternal Smoking and Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Meta-analysis.Journal of autism and developmental disorders · 2015Pooled it
- Effect of fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FEuropean journal of pediatrics · 2024Trial
- Sulforaphane treatment of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2014Trial
- Gestational Paracetamol (Acetaminophen) Toxicity Induces Behavioral and Structural Brain Defects in Rats.Current issues in molecular biology · 2026Article
- Autism-Related Information on Websites and General-Purpose Artificial Intelligence Chatbots: Comparative, Bilingual Study.JMIR formative research · 2026Article
- Associations between maternal occupational history and autism spectrum disorder diagnosis in offspring in Denmark.Occupational and environmental medicine · 2026Article
- Prenatal cell-free DNA methylome detects association with autism and maternal obesity.Communications biology · 2026Article
- Newborn metabolomics linking prenatal air pollution exposure and autism spectrum disorder risk in children.Journal of exposure science & environmental epidemiology · 2026Article
- Maternal Thyroid Hormone Imbalance and Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder.The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism · 2026Article
- Article
- Perinatal exposure to gaseous pollutants and autism spectrum disorder in children: A nested case-control study in the nurses' health study ii cohort.Environmental science and pollution research international · 2026Article
- Effects of combined prenatal exposure to air pollution and maternal stress on social behavior and oxytocin and vasopressin systems in male and female mice.Journal of neuroendocrinology · 2026Article
128 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundOver the past 10 years, research into environmental risk factors for autism has grown dramatically, bringing evidence that an array of non-genetic factors acting during the prenatal period may influence neurodevelopment.
methodsThis paper reviews the evidence on modifiable preconception and/or prenatal factors that have been associated, in some studies, with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), including nutrition, substance use and exposure to environmental agents. This review is restricted to human studies with at least 50 cases of ASD, having a valid comparison group, conducted within the past decade and focusing on maternal lifestyle or environmental chemicals.
resultsHigher maternal intake of certain nutrients and supplements has been associated with reduction in ASD risk, with the strongest evidence for periconceptional folic acid supplements. Although many investigations have suggested no impact of maternal smoking and alcohol use on ASD, more rigorous exposure assessment is needed. A number of studies have demonstrated significant increases in ASD risk with estimated exposure to air pollution during the prenatal period, particularly for heavy metals and particulate matter. Little research has assessed other persistent and non-persistent organic pollutants in association with ASD specifically.
conclusionsMore work is needed to examine fats, vitamins and other maternal nutrients, as well as endocrine-disrupting chemicals and pesticides, in association with ASD, given sound biological plausibility and evidence regarding other neurodevelopmental deficits. The field can be advanced by large-scale epidemiological studies, attention to critical aetiological windows and how these vary by exposure, and use of biomarkers and other means to understand underlying mechanisms.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.