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Paternal obesity—a risk factor for autism?

Nature Reviews Endocrinology volume 10, pages 389–390 (2014)Cite this article

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The aetiology of autism-spectrum disorders is partly explained by genetic factors, but a substantial component is attributed to environmental exposures. New evidence suggests that paternal obesity increases the risk of having a child with autism, which raises the possibility that obesity-driven, autism-related shifts in epigenetic reprogramming occur during spermatogenesis.

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Acknowledgements

The author's research is supported by NIDDK grant R01DK085173, NIEHS grant P01ES022831, USEPA grant RD-83543,701 and funding from the Duke Cancer Institute and Duke Nicholas School of the Environment. The content is solely the responsibility of the author and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH or the USEPA.

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  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University Medical Centre, B226 LSRC Box 91012, Research Drive, Durham, 27708, NC, USA

    Susan K. Murphy

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  1. Susan K. Murphy
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Correspondence to Susan K. Murphy.

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Murphy, S. Paternal obesity—a risk factor for autism?. Nat Rev Endocrinol 10, 389–390 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrendo.2014.81

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