Longitudinal study for the early detection of autism in children with very preterm birth
Marta Marín Soro1, Laura Gisbert Gustemps2, Héctor Boix Alonso3
1Institute of Neuroscience, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain.
Insights
Early detection of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) risk in very preterm infants is possible. A follow-up protocol effectively identifies high-risk infants for timely intervention.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal development
- Developmental pediatrics
- Autism spectrum disorder research
Background:
- Very preterm birth is a significant risk factor for autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
- Early identification of ASD risk in vulnerable populations is crucial for intervention.
- Understanding the prevalence of ASD in extremely premature infants is essential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of a follow-up protocol for early ASD risk detection.
- To assess ASD risk in infants born weighing less than 1500g or before 32 weeks gestation.
- To determine the prevalence of ASD in the very preterm population.
Main Methods:
- Prospective longitudinal study design.
- Monitoring 133 very premature infants until 2 years of age.
- Utilizing the M-CHAT autism screening test and Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-2) for positive screens.
Main Results:
- 18.46% estimated prevalence of ASD in very preterm infants.
- 53 out of 133 infants screened positive on M-CHAT.
- 24 infants scored above the ASD cutoff on ADOS-2, with an average detection age of 25.39 months.
Conclusions:
- The implemented follow-up protocol is effective for early ASD detection in very preterm infants.
- Early screening and diagnostic tools can identify ASD risk in this high-risk group.
- This approach facilitates timely intervention for very preterm infants at risk for ASD.
Introduction:
Very preterm birth is an important risk factor for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The aim of this study is the early detection of ASD risk, using a follow-up protocol, in children weighing less than 1500 g at birth or born before 32 weeks of gestation.
Methods:
This is a prospective longitudinal study in which a total of 133 very premature babies were monitored to the age of 2 years with the M-CHAT autism screening test and, in the event of a positive result, the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-2).
Results:
53 cases (4 out of 10) screened positive, and the rest negative. Among the positives, the ADOS-2 was administered in 50 cases, of which 24 scored above the ASD cutoff point. The average age of detection was 25.39 months. The results suggest an estimated prevalence of ASD in the very premature population of 18.46 %.
Conclusions:
The application of the follow-up protocol in the very premature population is effective for early detection of ASD.
