Fever

Recent articles

Illustration of a conveyor belt spilling pills over a green cliff face.

Acetaminophen use during pregnancy does not increase child’s chance of having autism, study finds

The link reported in prior studies likely reflects confounding factors, which sibling-matched controls in the new work address.

By Calli McMurray
9 April 2024 | 7 min read
A woman stands by a window while talking on the phone and holding a pill bottle.

Evidence linking acetaminophen to autism, ADHD under debate again

As acetaminophen lawsuits make their way through the U.S. court system, researchers reevaluate the quality of the evidence linking in-utero exposure to the painkiller to neurodevelopmental issues in children.

By Teresa Carr, Undark
12 July 2023 | 18 min read
Child in dark room with thermometer showing 100.8.

Fever doesn’t ease challenging traits in most autistic children

The findings contradict a previous study, whose design may have been biased to find an effect.

By Angie Voyles Askham
17 May 2022 | 3 min read
White lab mouse sitting in a gloved hand.

Notable papers in autism research, 2020

Gene therapies and the factors influencing autism traits top Spectrum’s list of the 10 most notable research findings we covered in 2020.

By Spectrum
23 December 2020 | 4 min read
Young woman during birth.

Epidurals linked to slightly higher autism odds, but connection is unclear

Women who receive epidural anesthesia during labor have an elevated chance of having a child with autism, a new study has found. But it is too soon for doctors to recommend against epidurals, experts say.

By Peter Hess
13 October 2020 | 6 min read
baby grasping an adult hand

Hormone level in infants may predict autism diagnosis

Infants with low levels of the hormone vasopressin in their cerebrospinal fluid may be more likely to later be diagnosed with autism.

By Peter Hess
11 May 2020 | 4 min read
Small child with fever has his temperature checked

Fever’s immune effect on brain may ease autism traits

An immune molecule produced during a fever improves sociability in three mouse models of autism.

By Nicholette Zeliadt
8 January 2020 | 4 min read
Siblings, a baby and a toddler, play together at home.

How pregnancy may shape a child’s autism

Autism is predominantly genetic in origin, but a growing list of prenatal exposures for mother and baby may sway the odds.

By Melinda Wenner Moyer
5 December 2018 | 17 min read
asian child and mother together in a park

Study linking acetaminophen use to language delay is preliminary, experts say

Women who take acetaminophen — commonly marketed as Tylenol in the United States — early in pregnancy may increase their daughters’ risk of language delay.

By Bahar Gholipour
14 February 2018 | 5 min read

Genetic hotspot; big brain collaboration; funding fall and more

A gene called TRIO may be a hotbed for autism mutations, an international collaboration focuses on the whole brain and one behavior, and Autism Speaks cuts grant spending.

By Emily Willingham
22 September 2017 | 4 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Illustration of a woman sitting on a branch with a singing bird.

This paper changed my life: Stephanie Palmer on the ties between human speech and birdsong—and her ‘informal life coach’

A groundbreaking review by Allison Doupe, who was Palmer’s mentor, and Patricia Kuhl helped shape the field’s understanding of the neural and evolutionary dynamics of speech.

By Stephanie Palmer
18 March 2025 | 5 min read
Research image of mouse brains showing altered migration of upper-layer neurons.

Restoring excitation-inhibition balance in a mouse model of autism; and more

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 17 March.

By Jill Adams
18 March 2025 | 2 min read
Tiger in a brain scanner.

Lions and tigers and bears: Long-lived zoo animals offer a promising venue to study mental health and neurodegenerative disorders

These animals’ lifestyles often mirror those of people, making them a more relevant milieu than lab mice for determining how environmental factors influence mental health and cognitive decline. Studying them could improve animal welfare in the process.

By Christine J. Charvet
17 March 2025 | 5 min read