Low-birth weight children and children born prematurely are at a greater risk of developing autism than their healthier counterparts. A new study showed infants who were born with low birth weight and prematurity have more than a double risk of developing autism, but more so for girls than for boys.
The study was the work of Drs Diana Schendel and Tanya Karapurkar Bhasin, of the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, and is published in the June 2008 early online issue of the journal Pediatrics.
Scientists with the CDC examined 565 children in Atlanta born from 1986 to 1993 with autism and compared them with children from a control group.
Researchers estimated low birth weight as less than 5.5 pounds, and preterm birth as less than 33 weeks’ gestation.
Children with autism were then divided into three groups: children with autism only, children with autism and one developmental disease, and children with autism and more than one developmental disease.
It is known that babies born with low birth weights are more at risk of bleeding in the brain, lungs that are more vulnerable to collapse, heart problems and vision loss.
The scientists found that low-birth weight and early preterm birth affected groups of children differently, depending on whether they had autism alone or autism and other developmental disabilities.
Birth weight less than 5.5 pounds increases risk for autism in both boys and girls by 2.3 times in average. However, the risk varies for sexes: low birth weight girls were 4 times more likely to develop autism and mental retardation together, but boys did not show to be at an increased risk because of low birth weight. Preterm birth less than 33 weeks’ gestation doesn’t significantly affect autism risk in boys, but it increases the risk in girls.
The study comes with a surprise for researchers, because autism mainly affects boys. This study shows that both factors low birth weight and preterm birth mostly affect baby girls.
Unfortunately, there is no cure for autism, but proper guidance and prognosis can hugely affect the behavior. The bad news is that some three to six children out f every 1,000 will develop autism, according to the National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Males are four times more likely to develop the disorder than girls.
The research suggests that those with low birth weight and preterm birth must be regularly checked for autism and other developmental problems at 18, 24, and 30 months. These children are already being closely monitored for other diseases, because they are at high risk, but researchers suggest that autism check-ups need special attention.