Undergoing fertility treatments, such as in vitro fertilization, does not increase the risk of having a child with autism, according to two epidemiology studies published this July.

A family history of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder increases the risk of autism, according to an epidemiological study published 2 July in the Archives of General Psychiatry. The results suggest that these disorders share underlying mechanisms.

With every passing year, men are increasingly likely to transmit new mutations to their children, according to the largest study yet of the so-called paternal age effect, published yesterday in Nature. The findings could help explain why older men are more likely to have a child with autism or schizophrenia than are younger men, the researchers say.

Experiencing a stressful event during pregnancy does not increase the risk of having a child with autism, according to an epidemiological study published 13 June in PLoS One.

Nearly all children diagnosed with autism retain their diagnosis when screened again at 8 years of age, according to a population-based study of more than 1,000 children, published in June in the Journal of Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics.

Early intensive behavioral therapy could save more than a million dollars over the lifetime of an individual with autism.

An untreated fever during pregnancy more than doubles the risk that the child will develop autism, according to a study published 5 May in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

Two reviews sketch a road map for understanding and treating autism in low- and middle-income countries.

Studies of autism prevalence should screen a representative sample of all individuals in the population, even those with no indications of the disorder, says epidemiologist Young-Shin Kim.

Health records of more than 14,000 people with autism show that they are more likely than the general population to suffer from a number of conditions, including immune disorders and gut problems. The results, published 12 April in PLoS One, suggest that doctors should carefully monitor their overall health.