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

Objective:

To investigate the association between parental subfecundity and neurodevelopmental outcomes in offspring, particularly autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and behavioral difficulties.

Approach:

Key Findings:

Children born to parents with subfecundity had higher externalizing behavior scores and 1.27 times the odds of having ASD compared to those without subfecundity.
In naturally conceived pregnancies, subfecundity was associated with 1.31 times the odds of ASD and higher externalizing behavior scores.
Non-IVF infertility treatments were associated with higher odds of ADHD compared to natural conception.

Interpretation:

Limitations:

Observational design limits the ability to establish causality.
Residual confounding may persist despite adjustments for various factors.
Differences in access to infertility diagnosis and treatment could influence findings.
Cohort included autism-enriched populations, limiting generalizability.