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Primitive reflexes in very low birth weight infants later diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder

Yukiyo Nagai1, Kayo Nomura2, Osamu Uemura3

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Japanese Red Cross Nagoya Daini Hospital, Nagoya, Japan - ynagai390503@gmail.com.

Minerva Pediatrics
|June 18, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Primitive reflexes, particularly hypoactive ones, were significantly more common in infants later diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This finding highlights primitive reflexes as potential early screening markers for ASD in high-risk infants.

Area of Science:

  • Neurodevelopmental disorders
  • Pediatric neurology
  • Infant development

Background:

  • Early screening and diagnosis are crucial for effective intervention in autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
  • Primitive reflexes are early indicators of neurological development in infants.
  • Investigating the link between primitive reflexes and ASD may offer new diagnostic insights.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the association between abnormal primitive reflexes and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in very low birth weight infants.
  • To determine if primitive reflex patterns can serve as early indicators for ASD.
  • To identify potential early biomarkers for ASD in a high-risk infant population.

Main Methods:

  • A case-control study involving 38 very low birth weight infants (<1500 g) assessed for 18 primitive reflexes.
  • Infants were followed up for 6 years, with ASD diagnosis confirmed using DSM-5 and ADOS-2 criteria.
  • Comparison of abnormal primitive reflex counts between infants with ASD (n=11) and controls (n=19), excluding those with cerebral palsy.

Main Results:

  • Ten out of 11 infants diagnosed with ASD exhibited one to four abnormal reflexes.
  • A significantly higher number of abnormal hypoactive primitive reflexes were observed in the ASD group (P=0.002).
  • Some infants showed a combination of hypoactive and hyperactive reflexes.

Conclusions:

  • Abnormal primitive reflexes, especially hypoactive ones, may serve as key indicators for early ASD identification in low-birth-weight infants.
  • This research suggests primitive reflexes could be valuable in the early screening of ASD.
  • Further investigation into abnormal hypoactive reflexes in infants with ASD may elucidate the pathogenesis of ASD.
Abstract

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