Low birthweight infants have five times rate of autism

October 17, 2011 in Medical research

Autism researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing have found a link between low birthweight and children diagnosed with autism, reporting premature infants are five times more likely to have autism than children born at normal weights.

The children, some born as small as about a pound, were followed for 21 years making this study, published in the prestigious journal Pediatrics, one of the most remarkable of its kind. The infants were born between September 1984 through July 1987 in Middlesex, Monmouth, and Ocean counties in New Jersey at birthweights from 500 to 2000 grams or a maximum of about 4.4 pounds.

"As survival of the smallest and most immature babies improves, impaired survivors represent an increasing public health challenge," wrote lead author Jennifer Pinto-Martin, MPH, PhD, director of the Center Centers for Autism and Research and Epidemiology (CADDRE) at Penn Nursing. "Emerging studies suggest that may be a risk factor for autism spectrum disorders."

Links between low birthweight and a range of motor and have been well established for some time, but this is the first study that establishes that these children are also at increased risk for (ASD).

"Cognitive problems in these children may mask underlying autism," said Dr. Pinto-Martin. "If there is suspicion of autism or a positive screening test for ASD, parents should seek an evaluation for an ASD. Early intervention improves long-term outcome and can help these children both at school and at home."

In future studies, Penn researchers will investigate possible links between , a complication of premature birth, and autism by examining brain ultrasounds taken of these children as newborns.

The researchers, including a team at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, followed 862 children from birth to finding that five percent of the children were diagnosed with autism, compared to one percent of the general population in what researchers called "the first study to have estimated the prevalence of ASD . . . using research validated diagnostic instruments."

Provided by University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing

5 /5 (5 votes)  

Filter


Move the slider to adjust rank threshold, so that you can hide some of the comments.


Display comments: newest first

georgesoros
Oct 17, 2011

Rank: 2.1 / 5 (8)
I found this story difficult to masturbate to. Anyone else have the same problem?
OverweightAmerican
Oct 17, 2011

Rank: 1 / 5 (4)
Umm, George, no I can't say I did have that problem.
Sinister1811
Oct 17, 2011

Rank: 1 / 5 (1)
I found this story difficult to masturbate to. Anyone else have the same problem?


See a therapist.
Bonkers
Oct 17, 2011

Rank: 1 / 5 (1)
Does your therapist let you get away with that sort of thing?
Sinister1811
Oct 17, 2011

Rank: 1 / 5 (1)
Does your therapist let you get away with that sort of thing?


I don't need a therapist for that sort of thing. Are you asking me for advice? Maybe you and georgie can get together and beat each other off sometime.
kaasinees
Oct 17, 2011

Rank: 3 / 5 (2)
maybe autism is a result of a gene expression that is supposed to conserve energy?
Sinister1811
Oct 17, 2011

Rank: 3 / 5 (2)
Could also be the result of different brain wiring and/or physiology. Possibly also the result of gene expression.
Rank 5 /5 (5 votes)
Relevant PhysicsForums posts

More news stories

Study reveals new mechanism for estrogen suppression of liver lipid synthesis

By discovering the new mechanism by which estrogen suppresses lipid synthesis in the liver, UC Irvine endocrinologists have revealed a potential new approach toward treating certain liver diseases.

Medical research created 6 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

MRI-based measurement helps predict vascular disease in the brain

Aortic arch pulse wave velocity, a measure of arterial stiffness, is a strong independent predictor of disease of the vessels that supply blood to the brain, according to a new study published in the June issue the journal ...

Medical research created 6 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Antibiotics: A new understanding of sulfonamide nervous system side effects

Since the discovery of Prontosil in 1932, sulfonamide antibiotics have been used to combat a wide spectrum of bacterial infections, from acne to chlamydia and pneumonia. However, their side effects can include serious neurological ...

Medical research created 8 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Scientists discover molecule triggers sensation of itch

Scientists at the National Institutes of Health report they have discovered in mouse studies that a small molecule released in the spinal cord triggers a process that is later experienced in the brain as ...

Medical research created 8 hours ago | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Discarded immune cells induce the relocation of stem cells

Spanish researchers have discovered that the daily clearance of neutrophils from the body stimulates the release of hematopoietic stem cells from the bone marrow into the bloodstream, according to a report published today ...

Medical research created 10 hours ago | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0


Controlling mood through the motions of mitochondria

(Medical Xpress)—Regulating the distribution of power in neurons is done by a system that makes the national electric grid look simple by comparison. Each neuron has several thousand mitochondria confined ...

Multiple research teams unable to confirm high-profile Alzheimer's study

Teams of highly respected Alzheimer's researchers failed to replicate what appeared to be breakthrough results for the treatment of this brain disease when they were published last year in the journal Science.

Motion quotient: IQ predicted by ability to filter motion (w/ video)

A brief visual task can predict IQ, according to a new study. This surprisingly simple exercise measures the brain's unconscious ability to filter out visual movement. The study shows that individuals whose ...

Researchers find common childhood asthma unconnected to allergens or inflammation

Little is known about why asthma develops, how it constricts the airway or why response to treatments varies between patients. Now, a team of researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College, Columbia University Medical Center ...

Diabetes' genetic underpinnings can vary based on ethnic background, studies say

Ethnic background plays a surprisingly large role in how diabetes develops on a cellular level, according to two new studies led by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

When oxygen is short, EGFR prevents maturation of cancer-fighting miRNAs

Even while being dragged to its destruction inside a cell, a cancer-promoting growth factor receptor fires away, sending signals that thwart the development of tumor-suppressing microRNAs (miRNAs) before it's dissolved, researchers ...