Children’s autism symptoms may be influenced by their parents’ exposure to workplace chemicals before conception and during pregnancy, according to a new study.
Researchers found significant associations between parental chemical exposure and increased autism severity, behavioral challenges, and lower cognitive performance in children.
“Our findings suggest that parental exposure to certain workplace chemicals during key fetal development periods may influence not just autism likelihood, but also severity and functioning outcomes for children with autism,” said Erin McCanlies, a research epidemiologist at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The study analyzed data from more than 500 families participating in a long-term autism research project. Investigators examined job histories for both mothers and fathers, from three months prior to conception through childbirth, estimating exposure to 16 chemicals or agents, including plastics, disinfectants, car fluids, medicines, and other industrial compounds.
Researchers then compared parental exposures with children’s autism severity, using a gold-standard diagnostic assessment, said senior researcher Irva Hertz-Picciotto, professor of public health sciences at the University of California-Davis.
Key findings included:
Plastics and polymers: Linked to poorer cognitive performance, reduced adaptive skills, and increased behavioral problems such as hyperactivity and social withdrawal.
Ethylene oxide: A sterilizing agent for medical devices, associated with higher autism severity and weaker daily living skills.
Phenols: Connected to greater autism severity and more pronounced behavioral symptoms, including repetitive movements or vocalizations.
The study highlighted that the strongest cognitive deficits were associated with fathers’ exposures to plastics and polymers.
“This research shows that workplace safety isn’t just about protecting the worker — it’s also about protecting their future children,” Hertz-Picciotto said. “We must consider how workplace chemicals might affect the next generation.”
Researchers caution that further studies are needed to confirm and better understand these links. The study’s design cannot establish direct cause-and-effect relationships, they noted.
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