
Late-pregnancy wildfire smoke linked to autism risk in Southern California births
An analysis of more than 200,000 Southern California births (2006-2014) finds that wildfire smoke exposure in the third trimester is linked to higher autism risk in children, especially during longer stretches of smoky days. Increases are about 10% for 1–5 smoky days, 12% for 6–10 days, and 23% for more than 10 days, with stronger signals for families that did not move. The study uses outdoor PM2.5 estimates and notes limitations, including indoor exposure and behavior not accounted for; results support a link between prenatal air pollution and neurodevelopment, but replication is needed.












