Premature infants born with low birthweight are five times more likely to have autism spectrum disorders (ASD) than children born at normal weights, according to a study published today in the journal Pediatrics. While just 1% of U.S. children in general are diagnosed with ASD according to most estimates, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing researchers found that 5% of premature infants they followed developed ASD.
This is the first study to establish a link between low birthweight and autism, and the research is remarkable because the 862 children, all born in the 1980s in New Jersey, were followed for 21 years. Previous research has established links between low birthweight and a range of motor and cognitive problems, and experts expressed concern that these problems could mask ASD in some of these children.
The next step in the current study, funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, is for researchers to examine brain ultrasounds take of these children as newborns, to determine whether brain hemorrhage – a complication of premature birth – is linked to autism.
Detecting autism as early in life as possible is considered essential, as early intervention improves long-term outcome for these children both in school and at home.
Watch for signs of normal development in your baby, toddler or preschooler with the help of this handy guide from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It’s called, “Learn the Signs, Act Early.”
Here’s our annual All Hallows Eve safety tip fest, distilled from advice courtesy of the American Academy of Pediatrics:
Between 1940 and 1971, doctors prescribed the first synthetic form of estrogen – called diethylstilbestrol or DES – to millions of pregnant women to prevent miscarriage and premature labor. But as babies exposed to DES in utero grew up, government studies found that daughters of these women were at increased risk for cancer, and use of the drug was halted.
If you’re wondering whether it matters that your kids see all those fast-food commercials on TV, and whether telling them to eat healthy makes a difference, the answers are “yes” and “probably,” suggests a study out this week from Texas A&M International University.
There is no way to prevent breast cancer, and as many as one in eight women will be diagnosed during their lifetime. But you can do plenty to help reduce your risk, and to make sure that any cancer that does appear is detected early, while it is most treatable.
The new news about the upcoming 2011-12 flu season is … there is no new news. Experts have determined that the same three strains of flu will be circulating this season as last, and manufacturers have already delivered a vaccine – exactly the same vaccine in use last season – well ahead of schedule.
More than one in 10 parents of young children use an “alternative” vaccination schedule for their children, rather than following the schedule recommended by reputable bodies like the American Academy of Pediatrics and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) according to a survey released today (10/3/11).
