David Goodhue - AHN News Reporter
Philadelphia, PA, United States (AHN) - Low birth weight infants may be five times more likely to be diagnosed with autism than their normal-weight peers, according to a new study.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing followed a group of children, some who were born weighing only a pound, for 21 years. The heaviest children were 4.4 pounds. The children were born between 1984 and 1987.
In total, 862 children were involved in the study. Five percent of the participants were diagnosed with autism, compared to one percent to the general population.
The researchers, including a team from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, said in a statement that as more low birth weight children are surviving, "impaired survivors represent an increasing public health challenge."
Previous studies have suggested a link between low birth weight and motor and cognitive problems, but the researchers said their study was the first to establish that these children are also at an increased risk for autism spectrum disorders.
A full report about the study appears in the journal Pediatrics.
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