Parental major life events before or during pregnancy and autistic behaviors among preschool children

Abstract

Abstract In this study, we aimed to examine whether parental major life events before or during pregnancy were associated with autistic behaviors in preschoolers, and whether alcohol use or smoking modified these associations. This study included 18,664 children aged 3–6 years in southern China. Parents reported seven types of major life events before or during pregnancy. Autistic behaviors were assessed by the Clancy Autism Behavior Scale. Logistic regression was applied to evaluate the associations of parental major life events with the risk of autistic behaviors, along with the modifying effects of alcohol consumption and smoking. This study found that paternal exposure to major life events before or during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of autistic behaviors. Maternal exposure to major life events during pregnancy was associated with a higher risk of autistic behaviors. The associations between paternal pre-pregnancy major life events and autistic behaviors were stronger when either parent consumed alcohol before pregnancy. No modifying effect was shown for smoking. Findings from this study highlighted the importance of monitoring parental stress and alcohol use before and during pregnancy to improve children’s neurodevelopmental outcomes.