A assessment of the effects of parental age on the development of autism in children: a systematic review and a meta-analysis

Abstract

Abstract Objective There has been conflicting evidence in earlier research on the association between parental age and autism risk. To clarify this association, we conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis of observational studies. The primary objective of this study was to determine the association between parents’ age and the risk of autism in the offspring. Methods PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science were searched for reports published up to November 2023. Results from relevant studies were pooled using random effects models. Subgroup analyses and meta-regression were performed to examine heterogeneity between the studies. Studies were included in this meta-analysis that focused on children with autism and examined the relationship between parents’ age (mother or father) and the risk of autism.The quality of studies was assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS). Results This meta-analysis included 41 articles. The low age of mother (OR = 0.96, (95% CIs: 0.88–1.05) and father (OR = 1.11, (95% CIs: 0.98–1.24) was not significantly associated with lower risk of autism in children. Conversely, greater paternal and maternal ages were associated with an increased risk of autism in their children. The adjusted odds ratios for mothers’ and fathers’ ages were 1.47 (95% CIs: 1.33–1.62) and 1.51 (95% CIs: 1.40–1.62), respectively. Conclusion Increased risk of autism in children is significantly associated with greater parents' ages. Further research is needed to gain further insight into the mechanisms responsible for the effects of parents' ages on the risk of autism in children. Lay Summary The findings of previous studies on the association between parents' ages and their children's autism risk have been mixed. Therefore, by carefully examining a number of previous investigations, in this study we aimed to determine the exact relationship between parental age and autism risk. According to the study's findings, parents who are older have a higher chance of their child getting autism. In other words, children of older parents are more likely to develop autism. The exact causes of this relationship, however, are still unclear. This study shows that higher age of parents can be one of the risk factors for autism in their childs.

Keywords

• Parental age
• Children
• Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
• Meta-anlysis
• Autism