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Early head growth in infants at risk of autism: a baby siblings research consortium study
Lonnie Zwaigenbaum1, Gregory S Young2, Wendy L Stone3
1University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Insights
Head circumference growth did not differ in children who later developed autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Early head growth is not a reliable indicator for identifying ASD risk in high-risk infants.
Area of Science:
- Neurodevelopmental disorders
- Pediatric growth studies
Background:
- Early brain overgrowth is a reported feature of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
- Longitudinal studies on head circumference (HC) in relation to ASD risk have yielded inconsistent findings, especially when including community controls.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate differences in head growth during the first three years of life.
- To compare head growth between children diagnosed with ASD from a high-risk (HR) sample, HR siblings without ASD, and low-risk (LR) controls.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal head circumference data were prospectively collected from 442 HR and 253 LR infants.
- Random effects nonlinear growth models were employed to analyze HC differences.
- The HR group was stratified by 3-year diagnostic outcomes: ASD, developmental delay (DD), and typical development (TD).
Main Results:
- No significant overall difference in head circumference growth was observed between HR and LR infants over the first three years.
- Secondary analyses indicated a potential for increased total head growth in HR infants.
- No differences in head growth or height were detected between HR infants who developed ASD and those who did not, or between infants with ASD and LR controls.
Conclusions:
- Head growth patterns were not informative as a risk marker for ASD within this high-risk cohort.
- These findings suggest that early head circumference measurements may not be a reliable predictor for identifying ASD in infancy.
Objective:
Although early brain overgrowth is frequently reported in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the relationship between ASD and head circumference (HC) is less clear, with inconsistent findings from longitudinal studies that include community controls. Our aim was to examine whether head growth in the first 3 years differed between children with ASD from a high-risk (HR) sample of infant siblings of children with ASD (by definition, multiplex), HR siblings not diagnosed with ASD, and low-risk (LR) controls.
Method:
Participants included 442 HR and 253 LR infants from 12 sites of the international Baby Siblings Research Consortium. Longitudinal HC data were obtained prospectively, supplemented by growth records. Random effects nonlinear growth models were used to compare HC in HR infants and LR infants. Additional comparisons were conducted with the HR group stratified by diagnostic status at age 3: ASD (n = 77), developmental delay (DD; n = 32), and typical development (TD; n = 333). Nonlinear growth models were also developed for height to assess general overgrowth associated with ASD.
Results:
There was no overall difference in head circumference growth over the first 3 years between HR and LR infants, although secondary analyses suggested possible increased total growth in HR infants, reflected by the model asymptote. Analyses stratifying the HR group by 3-year outcomes did not detect differences in head growth or height between HR infants who developed ASD and those who did not, nor between infants with ASD and LR controls.
Conclusion:
Head growth was uninformative as an ASD risk marker within this HR cohort.
