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Do children with autism have March birthdays?
1Child Neuropsychiatry Centre, Göteborg, Sweden.
Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica
|August 1, 1990
Summary
Children with autism showed a higher incidence of March births compared to other groups. This study explores potential environmental or biological factors linked to birth month in autism spectrum disorder.
Area of Science:
- Developmental neuroscience
- Pediatric psychology
- Autism research
Background:
- Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition.
- The etiology of ASD is multifactorial, involving genetic and environmental influences.
- Previous research has explored various environmental risk factors for ASD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate potential correlations between birth month and the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder.
- To compare birth month distributions across different neurodevelopmental groups, including autism, Asperger syndrome, and typically developing children.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 100 children diagnosed with autistic disorder (DSM-III-R) was studied.
- Comparison groups included children with "autistic-like" features, Asperger syndrome, and age-matched typically developing children.
- Data on the month of birth for all participants were collected and analyzed.
Main Results:
- An excess of births in March was observed within the group of children diagnosed with autism.
- This finding suggests a potential, though not fully understood, link between specific birth months and autism diagnosis.
Conclusions:
- The observed excess of March births in children with autism warrants further investigation.
- Potential underlying biological or environmental factors associated with season of birth may play a role in ASD etiology.
- Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms behind this observed association.