Study Links Premature Birth to Higher Risk of Autism
Posted on: Wednesday, 2 April 2008, 21:00 CDT
A Canadian study revealed a possible link between premature birth and autism in one out of four toddlers.
Lead author Catherine Limperopoulos, a researcher at McGill University in Montreal and Children's Hospital in Boston conducted screenings of 91 low birth weight infants to identify early signs of autism and risk factors associated with a positive screening result.
Researchers used MRI studies at preterm or term-adjusted age followed by evaluation about 5 months later.
Screening results 23 children, or 25 percent, had signs of autism.
Limperopoulos stressed that the study’s results do not imply that extreme prematurity causes autism, but it might be a contributing factor.
Extreme premature birth has been linked to cerebral palsy and mental retardation, said Dr. Alan Fleischman, medical director at the March of Dimes. He added that the study highlighted the need for early autism screenings among those born early.
"The study says there are also social and behavioral consequences which look like autism," Fleischman said.
The American Academy of Pediatrics says that autism screenings should be performed by a child’s second birthday. There is no cure for autism, but early detection can lead to behavior therapy, which can help lessen its effect.
Limperopoulos claimed her study was more thorough than previous ones that looked at older children to determine whether prematurity was more common among those already diagnosed with autism.
Rates of autism have risen in recent years. Some say this is due to improved diagnostic methods. Some activists believe childhood vaccines can trigger autism, though medical experts say they can find no such link.
"I think this is not the answer to the increased rate of autism in our country, (though) it may well represent a small part of that increase. This is a more important finding for the world of prematurity than for the world of autism," said Fleischman.
The study was published in the April issue of the journal Pediatrics.
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Source: redOrbit Staff and Wire Reports
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