Risk for ASD in Preterm Infants: A Three-Year Follow-Up Study

Area of Science:

• Developmental Pediatrics
• Neurodevelopmental Disorders
• Child Psychology

Background:

• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) risk assessment in preterm vs. full-term infants.
• Investigating neonatal risk factors and developmental characteristics linked to ASD.
• Utilizing both observational tools and parental feedback for comprehensive evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the long-term risk of ASD in preterm and full-term children.
• To identify neonatal and developmental predictors of ASD in this population.
• To evaluate the concordance between observational instruments and parental reports in ASD diagnosis.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal study of 110 preterm (≤34 weeks gestation) and 39 full-term children.
• Assessments conducted at 18, 24, and 36 months of corrected age.
• Utilized Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT), Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R), Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ), and Mullen Scales of Early Learning.

Main Results:

• Parental reports suggested a higher long-term ASD risk than observational instruments.
• Preterm children showed higher ASD risk at 18 and 24 months compared to full-term peers.
• At 36 months, ASD diagnosis was supported by clinical judgment and parental reports for one preterm child, despite ADOS scores.

Conclusions:

• Parental reports are crucial for identifying potential ASD risk, especially in preterm infants.
• Preterm birth, earlier gestational age, and lower developmental abilities are significant risk factors for ASD.
• Discrepancies between observational and parental data highlight the need for multifaceted ASD assessment.