Extreme Preemies Might Have Higher Risk of Autism Symptoms
February 8, 2009
Babies Born Too Early Twice as Likely to Score Positive on Autism Test
By AUDREY GRAYSON
ABC News Medical Unit
Jan. 29, 2009
Among the many serious health risks faced by babies born extremely prematurely, an increased risk of autism may confront moms-to-be, a new study suggests
Autism is characterized by difficulty with social interaction, problems with all forms of communication and repetitive behaviors or obsessive interests. Depending on where a patient falls on the autism spectrum, the severity of these behaviors can range from mild to disabling.
Using a special questionnaire, researchers from Boston University and Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem in North Carolina found that even among children with no pre-existing impairments, the chances of developing autism were about twice as high in those born three months early compared to children born within the normal range of gestation.
Lead study investigator Dr. Karl Kuban, chief of the Division of Pediatric Neurology at Boston Medical Center, cautioned that the test is not conclusive in determining whether a child will develop autism.
“You have to acknowledge that a positive screen isn’t the equivalent of autism,” Kuban warned.
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