# Parental major life events before or during pregnancy and autistic behaviors among preschool children

## TL;DR

This study found that parental major life events before or during pregnancy are linked to increased autistic behaviors in preschool children, especially when alcohol is involved.

## Contribution

The study reveals how paternal and maternal stress, combined with alcohol use, may influence autistic behaviors in children.

## Key findings

- Paternal major life events before or during pregnancy increase the risk of autistic behaviors.
- Maternal major life events during pregnancy are linked to higher autistic behaviors in children.
- Alcohol use before pregnancy strengthens the link between paternal stress and autistic behaviors.

## Abstract

In this study, we aimed to examine whether parental major life events before or during pregnancy were associated with autistic behaviors in preschoolers, and whether alcohol use or smoking modified these associations. This study included 18,664 children aged 3–6 years in southern China. Parents reported seven types of major life events before or during pregnancy. Autistic behaviors were assessed by the Clancy Autism Behavior Scale. Logistic regression was applied to evaluate the associations of parental major life events with the risk of autistic behaviors, along with the modifying effects of alcohol consumption and smoking. This study found that paternal exposure to major life events before or during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of autistic behaviors. Maternal exposure to major life events during pregnancy was associated with a higher risk of autistic behaviors. The associations between paternal pre-pregnancy major life events and autistic behaviors were stronger when either parent consumed alcohol before pregnancy. No modifying effect was shown for smoking. Findings from this study highlighted the importance of monitoring parental stress and alcohol use before and during pregnancy to improve children’s neurodevelopmental outcomes.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1038/s41598-025-22094-z.