Related Experiment Videos
Pervasive developmental disorder and obstetric complications in children and adolescents with tuberous sclerosis
1The Autism and Related Conditions Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, UK. rjp42@cam.ac.uk
Insights
Obstetric complications in children with tuberous sclerosis (TS) are linked to mild adversities, not severe ones. These complications did not correlate with autism spectrum disorder severity or intellectual impairment in children with TS.
Area of Science:
- Neurodevelopmental disorders
- Genetics
- Obstetrics
Background:
- Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) face higher risks of obstetric complications.
- The etiological significance and phenotypic influence of these complications in genetic conditions like tuberous sclerosis (TS) remain unclear.
- TS is a single-gene disorder frequently associated with ASD, making it a relevant model for investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of obstetric complications in shaping phenotypic manifestations in individuals with tuberous sclerosis (TS).
- To determine if obstetric complications contribute to the development or expression of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in the context of TS.
Main Methods:
- Studied 43 children with non-familial TS and 40 unaffected siblings.
- Gathered obstetric histories via structured parent interviews.
- Conducted Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R), Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-Generic (ADOS-G), and IQ evaluations.
Main Results:
- Children with TS experienced more obstetric complications than their unaffected siblings, primarily mild rather than severe adversities.
- No significant differences in obstetric complications were observed between children with and without ASD within the TS cohort.
- Obstetric adversities showed no positive correlation with the severity of ASD symptoms or intellectual impairments in children with TS.
Conclusions:
- While mild obstetric complications are more frequent in children with TS, they do not appear to be a primary etiological factor for ASD in this population.
- Obstetric complications do not seem to play a significant secondary role in modulating the phenotypic expression of ASD or intellectual deficits in individuals with TS.
Abstract:
Children with autism have an increased risk for obstetric complications but it is not known whether these are of primary aetiological significance. It is also unclear whether obstetric complications play a secondary role in shaping phenotypic expression in individuals at genetic risk for autism. We investigated this question by studying the role of obstetric complications in determining phenotypic manifestations in tuberous sclerosis, a single gene disorder frequently associated with autism spectrum disorders. Obstetric histories of 43 children with non-familial TS and 40 unaffected siblings were obtained using a structured parent interview. ADI-R, ADOS-G and IQ evaluations were undertaken. Children with TS experienced more obstetric complications than their unaffected siblings, but these were related to mild rather than severe adversities. No differences in obstetric complications were found in children with and without autism spectrum disorders and there was no positive correlation between obstetric adversities and severity of autism spectrum disorders or intellectual impairments.