Reduced growth during early infancy in very low birth weight children with autism spectrum disorder

Children born with very low birth weight (VLBW) are at higher risk for developing autism spectrum disorder (ASD) than those born at term [1,2]. Furthermore, approximately one-fourth of VLBW children screen positive for autistic features at 2years of age, and 2% of VLBW children are diagnosed with ASD as adolescents [1,2]. Despite the high prevalence of ASD and ASD traits in VLBW children, the underlying mechanisms and early biological markers of ASD in this population remain unclear, and it is still unclear whether these children differ from full-term children with ASD.

Source: Early Human Development - June 27, 2016 Category: Perinatology & Neonatology Authors: Kana Ikejiri, Mariko Hosozawa, Satomi Mitomo, Kyoko Tanaka, Toshiaki Shimizu Source Type: research