It is not known whether reproductive factors early in the mother's life influence risk of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). We assessed maternal age at menarche, menstrual cycle characteristics during adolescence, oral contraceptive use prior to first birth, body shape, and body mass index (BMI) in association with ASD using binomial regression in…

In a Swedish sample of five autistic children (12 to 18 years old), deterioration or severe symptom aggravation at the onset of puberty that followed earlier improvement is described. It is suggested that autistic children with pubertal deterioration may constitute a meaningful subgroup of the syndrome. (Author/SB)