In The Politics of Autism, I discuss various ideas about what causes the condition. Dozens of potential causes and correlates have been the subject of scientific and medical research.
Dickerson AS, Liu Y, Ladd-Acosta C, et al Associations between maternal occupational history and autism spectrum disorder diagnosis in offspring in Denmark Occupational and Environmental Medicine Published Online First: 12 May 2026. doi: 10.1136/oemed-2026-110912
Abstract
Objectives We investigated associations between maternal occupations and a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in offspring.
Methods We obtained data for 1702 ASD cases born between 1973 and 2012 from the Danish National Patient Registry and matched each case to up to 100 population based controls based on sex and birth year (n=110 234). Mothers’ employment histories were obtained from the Danish Pension Fund Registry. Conditional logistic regression models were used to test associations between occupations held ever, 1 year before conception, during pregnancy and during infancy, adjusting for the mother’s age and history of neuropsychiatric disorders, parity and residential location.
Results There were increased odds of having a child with ASD for mothers who were employed before conception up to infancy in ground transportation (adjusted OR (aOR) 1.24, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.42; q=0.036), public administration (aOR 1.20, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.35; q=0.018) and military/defence occupations (aOR 1.59, 95% CI 1.39 to 1.82; q<0.001). Associations for judicial occupations and military/defence service were also apparent 1 year before conception and during pregnancy. We observed sex differences, with significant associations in male children for employment in ground transportation and defence occupations.
Conclusions Associations between certain maternal employment categories with high toxicant or psychosocial stress exposure suggest future studies should focus on examining specific toxicant exposures common in those occupations and neurodevelopment in offspring. This is of particular concern for associations seen for occupations held several years before conception.
A partial list of other potential causes and correlates:
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Pesticides
- Air pollution and proximity to freeways
- Maternal thyroid issues
- Autoimmune disorders
- Induced labor
- Preterm birth
- Fever
- Birth by cesarean section;
- Anesthesia during cesarean sections
- Maternal and paternal obesity
- Maternal diabetes
- Maternal and paternal age
- Grandparental age
- Maternal post-traumatic stress disorder
- Maternal anorexia
- Smoking during pregnancy
- Cannabis use during pregnancy
- Antidepressant use during pregnancy
- Polycystic ovary syndrome
- Infant opioid withdrawal
- Zinc deficiency
- Sulfate deficiency
- Processed foods
- Maternal occupational exposure to solvents
- Congenital heart disease
- Insufficient placental allopregnanolone
- Estrogen in the womb
- Morning sickness;
- Paternal family history
- Parental preterm birth
- Antiseizure meds
- Location of forebears
- Lithium
- Aspartame
- BPA
- Brain inflammation
- Maternal asthma
- Infertility
- Ultraprocessed foods
- Household chemicals
- Parental psychiatric disorders
- Fluoride
- Fatty acids in umbilical cord blood
- Maternal inflammation during pregnancy
- COVID-19
- Wildfire smoke
- Sterol biosynthesis–inhibiting medications (SBIMs)
