I was reading this sad thread about autism and the title question entered my mind.
Now, the link between older mothers and mongolism is well known. Does the increase in autism match the increasing age of modern parents?
According to most studies, increasing maternal (and paternal) age is associated with autism.
Here is a recent study: “Maternal and paternal age and risk of autism spectrum disorders”, Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2007 Apr;161(4):334-40.
(I’m not sure the link will work for everyone, but let me know if you want a summary).
Most interesting, thank you.
To hijack - is “mongolism” acceptable? Is it different from saing “mongoloid,” which I don’t think is okay?
You can say “trisomy” or, more specifically, “trisomy-21” instead: increased maternal age is associated with increased fetal risk of trisomy-21.
Nomenclature issues here.