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Published on: July 31, 2017
Early medical history of children with autism spectrum disorders
Rebecca Niehus1, Catherine Lord
1University of Michigan Autism and Communication Disorders Center University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA.
Insights
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experienced more ear infections and antibiotic use than typically developing children. Pediatricians noted early autism symptoms, including language delay, in many ASD cases.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Neurodevelopmental Disorders
- Medical History Analysis
Background:
- Previous research indicates potential medical history differences in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).
- Areas of interest include vaccination reactions, ear infections, gastrointestinal issues, and antibiotic use.
- Some studies link regressive autism to gastrointestinal symptoms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze and compare medical records from birth to age 2 for children with and without ASD.
- To investigate differences in pediatrician visits, illnesses, medications, gastrointestinal complaints, vaccinations, and early behavioral observations.
- To identify potential early indicators of ASD in medical histories.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of medical records for 99 children (75 ASD, 24 typically developing) from birth to 2 years.
- Data collected on pediatrician visits, illnesses, medications, gastrointestinal issues, vaccinations, and pediatrician-noted developmental behaviors.
- Comparison of medical histories between ASD and typically developing groups, including those with parent-reported regression in the ASD group.
Main Results:
- Children with ASD had significantly more ear infections and antibiotic use compared to typically developing children.
- Typically developing children presented with more illness-related fevers.
- A trend towards more chronic gastrointestinal problems was observed in the ASD group, though not statistically significant.
- Pediatricians noted potential autism symptoms, such as language delay, in a substantial portion of the ASD group.
Conclusions:
- Medical records reveal distinct patterns in early childhood health for children with ASD, notably increased ear infections and antibiotic use.
- While not statistically significant, chronic gastrointestinal issues warrant further investigation.
- Early identification of developmental concerns, like language delay, by pediatricians is crucial for timely ASD diagnosis and intervention.
Abstract:
Previous studies have suggested that children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) may have different medical histories than nonspectrum children in several areas: their reactions to vaccinations, number of ear infections, chronic gastrointestinal problems, and use of antibiotics. Furthermore, some studies have found associations between regressive autism and gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. The present study analyzes the medical records from birth to the age of 2 years of 99 children (24 typically developing; 75 with ASD, of whom 29 had parent-reported regression). Data were coded in the following areas: frequency and purpose of pediatrician visits, frequency and type of illnesses and medications, type and chronicity of GI complaints, date of vaccinations, growth data, and whether the pediatrician noted behaviors indicative of an ASD before the age of 2 years. Children with ASD were found to have significantly more ear infections than the typically developing children as well as to use significantly more antibiotics. Typically developing children had significantly more illness-related fevers. There was a nonsignificant trend toward the ASD group having more chronic gastrointestinal problems. There were no significant differences between the groups for the age of vaccination or for number of pediatrician visits. Finally, pediatricians noted symptoms of onset of possible autism, including language delay, for 44 of the 75 children with ASD and 2 of the 24 typical children. Results are discussed in terms of needs for future research.
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