Which parent does autism come from?
Consequently, which parent is responsible for autism?
Autistic children may inherit DNA mutations from their fathers. There is no one gene that, when mutated, causes autism. But over the past decade, researchers have identified hundreds of gene variations that seem to affect brain development in ways that increase the risk of autism.
Keeping this in consideration, how does autism run in families?
Children in families with a history of brain conditions are at increased odds of being autistic, a large study in Sweden suggests1. The more closely related the family members with these conditions, the greater the child's chances of having autism.
Genetically, you actually carry more of your mother's genes than your father's. That's because of little organelles that live within your cells, the mitochondria, which you only receive from your mother.