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+--- Thread: Research Hot nighttime temperatures tied to prenatal autism risk? (/thread-19780.html)
Hot nighttime temperatures tied to prenatal autism risk? - C C - Feb 13, 2026
As nights warm, study flags possible prenatal link to autism risk
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1116419
INTRO: Higher nighttime temperatures during pregnancy may be associated with a higher risk of autism diagnosis in children, according to a new study led by researchers at Tulane University.
The study, published in Science of the Total Environment, examined nearly 295,000 mother-child pairs in Southern California from 2001-2014 and found that warmer overnight temperatures were linked to increased autism risk during two key periods of pregnancy: early pregnancy and late pregnancy.
Children of mothers exposed to higher than typical nighttime temperatures during weeks 1-10 of pregnancy had a 15% higher risk of being diagnosed with autism. Exposure during weeks 30-37 was associated with a 13% higher risk.
Extreme temperatures that saw an increased associated risk of autism diagnoses among children were classified as above the 90th percentile (3.6°F hotter than the average) and 99th percentile (5.6°F higher than average). These relative increases resulted in what researchers called a ‘significant’ association between hotter-than-average nights experienced by pregnant women and autism diagnoses for their children.
The findings add to a growing body of research exploring how environmental factors — including air pollution and wildfire smoke — may influence fetal neurodevelopment. As global temperatures rise, this study is the first to examine how temperature can impact that development. On average, nighttime temperatures have risen three times faster than daytime temperatures in California, the site of the study, according to California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Association. And heat continues to be something for California residents to monitor, with nine of the state’s 10 hottest years on record occurring since 2014... (MORE - details, no ads)
RE: Hot nighttime temperatures tied to prenatal autism risk? - Yazata - Feb 13, 2026
Correlation vs causation... I'm skeptical.
Do we really see higher autism rates in Phoenix AZ?
RE: Hot nighttime temperatures tied to prenatal autism risk? - Syne - Feb 13, 2026
Since there is a weak correlation between birth month and IQ, where those born in fall/winter test slightly higher, there may be a little to this. But probably no more than the birth month relating to personality traits... just from gestational environment at different times of the year, not the stars.
But according to this, autism rates are highest in Pennsylvania but lowest in neighboring New Jersey and Maryland. That doesn't bode well for the OP theory.