Autism Risk Higher in People with Gene Variant

Scientists have found a variation in a gene that may raise the risk of developing autism, especially when the variant is inherited from mothers rather than fathers.  The research was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), part of the National Institutes of Health. Inheriting the gene variant does not mean that a child will inevitably develop autism.  It means that a child may be more vulnerable to developing the disease than are children without the variation. 

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