Recurrence risk
The probability that, in a family with one child with autism, another is affected. According to a review, autism is highly heritable; the genetic causes are very varied.
- Also called
- risk of recurrence
According to a 2021 review, autism is among the most heritable disorders; shared environmental influences in the family play hardly any role. Both rare gene variants with a large effect and common gene variants with a small effect contribute to the risk. The genetic cause is very varied: even siblings from the same family can carry different autism-related variants. [1]
A genetic test therefore often gives no simple answer; the authors regard referral to genetic counselling as appropriate mainly in autism with intellectual disability or a complex picture. [1] Concrete numbers and context are in the article “Genetics and autism”.
Sources and literature
- Thapar A, Rutter M: Genetic advances in autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 2021;51(12):4321–4332 (online 17.09.2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04685-z (PMID 32940822, PMC8531042). Zitiert wird der Abschnitt „The Heritability of Autism: From Early to Modern Twin and Family Studies“.
In detail: Genetics and autism: inheritance, genetic tests and recurrence risk
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Genetics and autism: inheritance, genetic tests and recurrence risk
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