Fertility Issues May Be Linked to Autism

In a nationwide US cohort, parental subfecundity was associated with higher odds of autism spectrum disorder and modest increases in behavioral symptoms, while in vitro fertilization showed no statistically significant associations with neurodevelopmental outcomes.

By
Andrea Surnit
June 19, 2026
3 min

MDSpire News

At a Glance

Category	Detail
Condition	Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Key Mechanisms	Parental subfecundity and infertility treatments
Target Population	Children aged 2 to 10 years born to parents with a history of subfecundity
Care Setting	Observational study of mother-child dyads

Key Highlights

Children of parents with subfecundity had 1.27 times the odds of ASD compared to those without subfecundity.
Non-IVF infertility treatments were associated with higher odds of ADHD.
Gestational age at birth contributed to associations between subfecundity and certain behavioral outcomes.

Guideline-Based Recommendations

Diagnosis

Assess neurodevelopmental outcomes using caregiver-reported measures.

Management

Consider parental subfecundity as a factor in assessing child behavioral outcomes.

Monitoring & Follow-up

Monitor children born to parents with a history of subfecundity for behavioral difficulties.

Risks

Higher externalizing behavior scores and increased odds of ASD and ADHD in children of parents with subfecundity.

Patient & Prescribing Data

Parents with a history of infertility or subfecundity

Non-IVF infertility treatments may be linked to higher ADHD rates.

Clinical Best Practices

Evaluate the impact of parental fertility issues on child development.
Utilize comprehensive assessments for children with a parental history of subfecundity.