Autism in Toddlers Born Very Preterm.

Area of Science:

• Neonatal research
• Developmental pediatrics
• Child psychology

Background:

• Infants born very preterm (<29 weeks gestation) face developmental challenges.
• Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) risk is a concern in this vulnerable population.
• Accurate ASD diagnosis in toddlers requires validated assessment tools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in very preterm toddlers.
• To utilize Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-Generic (ADOS-G) classifications for diagnosis.
• To investigate early ASD indicators in this high-risk group.

Main Methods:

• Two cohorts of very preterm toddlers (2 and 4 years old) were assessed.
• The Modified Checklist of Autism in Toddlers-Follow-up Interview (M-CHAT-FI) screening was employed.
• Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-Generic (ADOS-G) was administered to screen-positive toddlers.

Main Results:

• Data were available for 88% of the cohort (169/192).
• 3 toddlers (1.8%) were diagnosed with ASD, meeting the highest ADOS-G autism classification.
• 21 of 22 screen-positive cases showed social communication difficulties; adaptive behavior predicted ASD.

Conclusions:

• Very preterm birth (<29 weeks gestation) is associated with increased ASD risk.
• The study identified a lower ASD incidence (1.8%) compared to prior research using ADOS-G.
• M-CHAT-FI positive toddlers exhibited subthreshold communication impairments, indicating developmental delays.