Autism can be subtle, or absent, in at-risk girls

The gender effect is a hot topic in autism research and one that could lead to new ways of diagnosing and treating a condition that affects at least 1 in 68 U.S. children.

The causes of autism aren’t known but various genetic mutations are thought to play a role and outside factors including older parents and premature birth also have been implicated.

Girls can have the same kinds of genetic mutations seen in boys with autism, said Joseph Buxbaum, director of an autism center at Mount Sinai medical school in New York City.

Buxbaum is among researchers trying to identify a “protective factor” that may explain how some girls at genetic risk remain unaffected, perhaps a protein or other biological marker that could be turned into a drug or other therapy to treat or even prevent autism.