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Autism spectrum disorders in extremely preterm children

Samantha Johnson1, Chris Hollis, Puja Kochhar

  • 1Institute for Women's Health, University College, London, United Kingdom. s.j.johnson@ucl.ac.uk

The Journal of Pediatrics
|January 9, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Extremely preterm children show higher rates of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms and diagnoses. Early factors like male sex and neurocognitive issues are linked to these outcomes, suggesting developmental origins.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Pediatrics
  • Psychiatry

Background:

  • Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are complex neurodevelopmental conditions.
  • Extremely preterm birth (<26 weeks gestation) is associated with various developmental challenges.
  • Understanding ASD risk in this vulnerable population is crucial for early intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of ASD in extremely preterm children.
  • To identify correlates and antecedents of ASD in this group.
  • To explore the relationship between ASD symptoms and neurocognitive outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective study of UK and Ireland births <26 weeks gestation in 1995.
  • Assessment of 219 survivors at 11 years, compared to term-born classmates.
  • Use of Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ), psychiatric evaluation, IQ, and clinical assessments.

Main Results:

  • 8% of extremely preterm children received an ASD diagnosis versus 0% in controls.
  • Higher SCQ scores were observed in extremely preterm children.
  • Early factors (male sex, low gestation, abnormal brain scans, no breast milk) and later neurocognitive issues were associated with ASD symptoms.

Conclusions:

  • Extremely preterm children face an elevated risk for ASD symptoms and diagnoses in middle childhood.
  • ASD in this population is linked to neurocognitive outcomes.
  • Findings suggest abnormal brain development contributes to ASD in extremely preterm individuals.
Abstract

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