Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41491264›Full record

ArticleJournal of autism and developmental disorders2026

Exploring the Association Between Parental Age and Autism Spectrum Disorder Risk in Qatar.

Fouad AlShaban, Éric Fombonne, Iman Ghazal, Fatema Al-Faraj, Sarah Aqel, I Richard Thompson, Hawraa Al-Shammari, Saba El-Hag, Bisher Nasir

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Article in Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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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.

2 · The registry

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Fouad AlShabanNeurological Disorders Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar. falshaban@hbku.edu.qa.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0529-9721
Éric FombonneDepartment of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
Iman GhazalNeurological Disorders Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar. ighazal@hbku.edu.qa.
Fatema Al-FarajNeurological Disorders Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar.
Sarah AqelNeurological Disorders Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar.
I Richard ThompsonThe North East and Yorkshire NHS Genomic Laboratory Hub, Leeds, England.
Hawraa Al-ShammariNeurological Disorders Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar.
Saba El-HagSidra Medicine, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar.
Bisher NasirDepartment of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeAutism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition influenced by complex factors. Advanced parental age at childbirth has been associated with an increased likelihood of ASD. This study investigates the association between parental age and its correlation with ASD within the Qatari population, offering novel insights into an underrepresented region in autism research.

methodsA case-control design was utilized, including 970 ASD cases and 955 controls. Controls consisted of typically developing (TD) children and children with other neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). Statistical analyses included bivariate and multivariable logistic regression, with adjustment for potential confounders.

resultsMost ASD cases were male (79.4%), with a male-to-female ratio of approximately 3.85:1. Maternal age at childbirth was significantly higher among cases (30.14 ± 5.45 years; p < 0.001). A dose-dependent increase in the probability of ASD diagnosis was observed for mothers aged ≥ 30 years, with mothers aged 30–34 years having an aOR of 1.769 (95% CI: 1.320–2.372), 35–39 years an aOR of 2.046 (95% CI: 1.395–3.000), and the highest risk observed in mothers aged ≥ 40 years (aOR: 2.062, 95% CI: 1.184–3.593). Paternal age was significantly associated with ASD in unadjusted analyses but lost significance after adjusting for maternal age and other confounders.

conclusionThese findings highlight the need for broader awareness of factors linked to ASD and emphasize early identification and timely access to services.

Indexed as

Associated factorsAutism spectrum disorderMaternal agePaternal ageQatar

Identifiers

PMID41491264

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