New research published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics reveals that over the past five years, the number of children diagnosed with autism has increased by 50 percent.

One in 30 children in the United States now suffers from an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), up from one in 91 back in 2009.

Conducted by public health researchers at Guangdong Pharmaceutical University in China, the study evaluated data from the annual National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), which is maintained by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Between 2017 and 2020, it is estimated that there has been a 52 percent increase in ASD diagnoses among children and adolescents. Some 2.46 percent of children and adolescents in the U.S. were diagnosed with ASD at that time.

In 2016, that percentage was 2.76, after which it dropped to 2.29 percent in 2017. By 2020, ASD cases among children and adolescents soared to 3.49 percent.

The CDC says that one in 44 American children now has ASD. However, that estimate was based on older data. The latest data shows a one in 30 rate of autism among children and adolescents.

Is glyphosate exposure the leading cause of autism in children?

The JAMA Pediatrics study does not include any speculation as to the cause of this increase, though increased public awareness could be one factor.

Other factors include massive increases in chemical pollution, including glyphosate (Roundup) herbicide being sprayed on food crops, for instance.

"Glyphosate appears to be a leading contributor to autism," says Dr. Joseph Mercola.