Premature birth can increase the risk of autism

The study authors did not speculate on why premature birth has a higher risk of autism, but previous research indicates that a combination of genetic and environmental factors both play a role.

For example, recent studies have found 102 separate genes linked to ASD. Many of these genes also play an important role in early brain development.

“Having a premature baby, having complications during pregnancy (such as bleeding or high blood pressure), exposure to chemicals that disrupt the endocrine system (for example, through food, cosmetics or water) and wearing multiples all seem to increase the risk of autism, ” Emilie Papazoglou, PhD, a certified clinical neuropsychologist based in Georgia, told Healthline.

“We do not yet understand why these factors increase a child’s risk of having autism,” she said, “and many children are born healthy after being exposed to one or more of these factors. risk. “

One thing is certain.

Vaccines play no role if children develop autism, according to several large studies.

A study of half a million people found that children who had siblings with autism were 14 times more likely to have autism than the general population, again indicating genetic factors at play.

Rather, the increase in autism diagnoses over the years is due to a better understanding of the early signs and symptoms of autism as well as to more common projections for this, research shows.

Having a premature baby doesn’t mean your child will develop autism. Even the extremely premature babies in the study only had a 6% rate of autism.

That said, if your child was born prematurely, early screenings and interventions can help ensure that your child receives the best possible support if he or she needs it.

“We know that the earlier the intervention is implemented for children with autism, the better the results. Intervention before the age of 5 – and even more ideally in the early years of infancy – seems to be particularly crucial, ”Papazoglou said.

“The importance of early identification and immediate implementation of appropriate interventions cannot be overstated,” added Dana Sciullo, a Pennsylvania-based pediatric occupational therapist specializing in children with autism.

“Around age 2, children’s brains undergo significant growth and formation of neural connections during which the brain is at its highest level of ‘neural plasticity’ or potential for change,” Sciullo told Healthline.

“In my own practice, I have seen children who were diagnosed early and received intense intervention grow up without showing obvious signs of autism. This is not always the case, but early treatment invariably has a positive effect on the outcome of the child, ”she said.