Will my second child be autistic too?
Dr IC Verma
Sr. Consultant and Head, Department of Medical Genetics,
Sir Ganga Ram Hospital,
New Delhi
Sr. Consultant and Head, Department of Medical Genetics,
Sir Ganga Ram Hospital,
New Delhi
Q: My son is autistic. Will my second child be autistic too? How can we detect during pregnancy that the child will be autistic?
A:Autism is a symptom/sign which can be due to many causes. The risk of recurrence depends upon the cause. If no cause is found then the risk of recurrence is about 7%, if the affected child is a male. There is no genetic test available for autism. But there are tests for some of the disorders which cause autism. Consult a geneticist in person.