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Macrocephaly in children with autism spectrum disorders

Lucy Barnard-Brak1, Tracey Sulak, Julie K Ivey Hatz

  • 1Department of Educational Psychology, Baylor University, Waco, Texas 76798, USA. lucy_barnard-brak@baylor.edu

Pediatric Neurology
|January 11, 2011
PubMed

Insights

This study found no significant differences in head size between children with autism spectrum disorder and their peers. Findings are based on a large, nationally representative sample, offering broad generalizability for autism research.

Area of Science:

  • Neurodevelopmental disorders
  • Pediatric health
  • Autism spectrum disorder research

Background:

  • Previous studies suggested macrocephaly in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) but used small, non-representative samples.
  • Limited generalizability of prior findings due to clinic-based, non-national cohorts.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate head circumference differences in a nationally representative sample of children with and without ASD.
  • To provide generalizable data on head size in autism spectrum disorder.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Birth Cohort, a nationally representative, community-based sample.
  • Compared head circumferences of children with and without autism spectrum disorder across three time points.

Main Results:

  • No statistically significant differences in head circumference were observed between children with and without autism spectrum disorder.
  • Results were consistent across all three measured time points.

Conclusions:

  • The study's findings from a large, representative sample suggest that macrocephaly may not be a universal characteristic of autism spectrum disorder.
  • These results enhance the understanding of physical characteristics associated with autism spectrum disorder in a general population.

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