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Head circumference in autism and other pervasive developmental disorders
W Woodhouse1, A Bailey, M Rutter
1Child and Family Guidance Clinic, Swindon, U.K.
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and Allied Disciplines
|September 1, 1996
Summary
A significant portion of autistic children exhibit macrocephaly, or large heads. This finding suggests a potential link between autism spectrum disorder and abnormal physical development in children.
Area of Science:
- Neurodevelopmental disorders
- Pediatric physical development
Background:
- Recent research indicates a higher prevalence of large heads in autistic children.
- Macrocephaly is a potential indicator of underlying developmental abnormalities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between macrocephaly and pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) in children.
- To compare the rate of macrocephaly in children with PDD versus those with other developmental disorders.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of anthropometric head circumference measurements.
- Inclusion of clinic attendees with PDD, psychiatric, and language disorders.
- Inclusion of data from language disorder schools for comparison.
Main Results:
- Approximately one-third of children with PDD presented with macrocephaly.
- The rate of macrocephaly was significantly higher in children with PDD compared to those with language disorder alone.
- Macrocephaly in PDD was not attributed to other recognized medical conditions.
Conclusions:
- PDD is associated with a higher incidence of macrocephaly.
- Macrocephaly may represent a physical developmental anomaly in some children with PDD.
- Further research into the physical development aspects of PDD is warranted.