Low Birthweigh​t Babies Five Times More Likely To Develop Autism

Article first published as Low Birthweight Babies Five Times More Likely To Develop Autism on Technorati.



Previous research has shown that low birthweight babies (>4.5 lbs) have a high risk of developing a host of problems with motor and cognitive skills. Autism has been added to this list, according to a study from the University of Pennsylvania. This research, which began more than two decades ago, shows that low birthweight babies are five times more likely to develop autism than normal weight babies.

The study sample initially included 1105 low-birthweight premature babies born between October 1984 and July 1989. The birthweights of these babies ranged from 500 grams (1.1 lbs) to 2000 grams (4.4 lbs). Researchers evaluated the children with periodic assessments until the age of 21, focusing on outcomes such as academic, behavioral, and psychological, among many others. The children were then screened for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) at the age of 16 using an accepted evaluation known as the Autism Spectrum Symptoms Questionnaire. The results were astonishing. 117 of the 623 children screened positive for ASD, while 506 were negative.

Jenifer Pinto-Martin, director of the Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities Research and Epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania and the study's lead author used this opportunity to evaluate the subjects with a diagnostic test for autism. When the children turned 21, Pinto-Martin was able to get a hold of 70 of the 117 children that screened positive five years prior. 119 of the 506 children that screened negative were also included. The team wound up with a total 14 cases of ASD. "CDC data says it's about 1% in 8-year-olds, and we found it to be 5% in 21-year-olds", says Pinto-Martin.



The implications of this study can be important. The advancement of neonatal care is saving more and more lives of countless, premature newborns. With this in mind, Pinto-Martin stresses, "We have a wave of these children coming down the pike because neonatal care has improved so dramatically. We are saving more and more babies, and the consequences for their health are going to be profound."

It could be possible that in past years, other disabilities such as language disorders or mental retardation could have masked a potential diagnosis of ASD. And with so much already going into a typical pediactric screening, developmental concerns may not be brought up as much. Still, Pinto-Martin advises that autism should be implented into a pediatric exam. She says, "The same way we make sure every kid gets screened for hearing, we need to make sure that every kid gets screened for autism spectrum disorders." Though the results of the study should not overly alarm parents, if a parent suspects that something may be wrong, they may be correct and it will be better to know much sooner than later. Pinto-Martin stresses, "Five percent is not 50% but if you a suspicion as a parent, you are probably right. Don't take wait-and-see as an answer." The study appears in the November issue of Pediatrics and the abstract is now available online.