Israeli children with autism spectrum disorder are not macrocephalic

Area of Science:

• Neurodevelopmental disorders
• Pediatric neurology
• Genetics

Background:

• Macrocephaly is frequently observed in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with prevalence estimates ranging from 12% to 37%.
• Progressive macrocephaly is considered a potential early indicator for ASD development.
• Previous research suggests a higher prevalence of large head circumference in children with ASD compared to the general population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of abnormal head circumference in Israeli children diagnosed with ASD.
• To compare head circumference data between children with ASD, developmental language disorder (DLD), and typically developing controls.
• To investigate potential differences in macrocephaly prevalence across these groups within the Israeli population.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study evaluating head circumference measurements in children with ASD in Israel.
• Comparison of head circumference data against normative values and against cohorts of children with DLD and normal development.
• Statistical analysis to assess the significance of differences in head circumference prevalence.

Main Results:

• The prevalence of macrocephaly in the studied Israeli children with ASD was found to be 4.4%.
• Children with ASD showed a significantly higher rate of head circumference above the 75th percentile compared to children with DLD.
• No significant difference in head circumference above the 75th percentile was observed between children with ASD and normal controls.

Conclusions:

• This study did not find an increased prevalence of macrocephaly in Israeli children with autism spectrum disorder.
• The observed lower prevalence may be linked to distinct genetic backgrounds within the Israeli population.
• Further research is warranted to explore the genetic underpinnings of head size variations in ASD across different ethnicities.