Parents who have a child with autism have about a 1 in 5 chance of having a second child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a far greater risk than previously believed, new research shows.
The study published on August 15, 2011 in the journal Pediatrics is the largest study to date focusing on the risks of autism among siblings.
Researchers conducted a longitudinal study of 664 infants with an older biological sibling with ASD and followed them from early in life to 36 months, when they were classified as having or not having ASD.
A total of 18.7% of the infants developed ASD. There was an almost threefold increase in risk for male siblings and an additional twofold increase in risk if there was more than one older affected sibling.
This study demonstrates that the sibling recurrence risk of autism spectrum disorder is substantially higher than previous estimates of between 3-10%. This elevated risk has important implications for infant screening and genetic counseling. Additionally, this study highlights the importance of routine surveillance and rapid referral for infant siblings of children with ASD. Given the higher-than expected recurrence rates, particularly for male infants and multiplex families, it is critical that primary care professionals closely monitor the development of infants who have older siblings with ASD.
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