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Premature babies are more likely to have autism.
Babies born under 4 pounds, 7 ounces, are five times more likely to have autism, a new study published in Pediatrics has found.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia looked at more than 1,000 children born with low birth weights (under 2000 grams), most often due to premature birth, and found they had a higher-than-average risk of developing autism spectrum disorders.
MedPage Today reports that while it has been well established that, “… low birth weight and prematurity put children at risk of cognitive and motor disability …,” this new study confirms that the risk of autism spectrum disorders among these children is high as well, though it doesn’t prove any direct link between low birth weight and autism.
The study also found that boys born with low birth weight were more likely to have autism than girls.
If your little one was born prematurely, you may be in for a lifetime of health troubles
Premature babies face major health risks at birth, and often require months of intensive medical care.
The health risks don’t stop when they head home from the hospital. A new study finds that people born prematurely face a substantially increased risk of dying as young adults. For the most part, if they survive infancy, they make it through childhood and adolescence. But between the ages of 18 to 36, survivors of preterm birth are at a higher risk of death than their peers who were born at term.
What is going on there?
Premature birth leaves lasting health impacts
A new long-term study of preemies shows mixed forecasts for the little ones’ futures.
On the one hand, they’re more likely to become ill, suffer heart problems and face academic and social challenges, even into adulthood. On the other hand, researchers say babies born early prove to be extremely resilient. Supportive parents and schools can go a long way towards cultivating this trait, helping preemies get a leg up on the challenges they face.
Keeping babies in the womb longer
In a forthcoming article in the May issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, researchers report that they have developed a way to test an expecting mom in her 24th week of pregnancy to see if she’s likely to deliver prematurely.
This could be big news for obstetrics, because the problem of preterm birth is a serious one and it’s been hard to know in advance and intervene before it’s too late. Almost thirteen percent of babies in the U.S. are born before 37 weeks. We know that every day a baby is able to stay in the womb is important for development, so detecting preterm births early would be a huge step.
The test could be on the market soon, and here’s how it would work:
He was just one pound, eleven ounces when he was born, and Saturday night, he was playing tribute to one of the biggest rock stars in the world with the eyes of the world on him. The kid who taught himself to play guitar listening to Hendrix rock Woodstock played Woodstock Saturday night.
Conrad Oberg opened the Woodstock anniversary concert at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts in Bethel, NY, and made his guitar scream in tribute to his hero for a feedback-laden rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. Continue reading »
By the time he was one, Baby Warwick had suffered from heart problems, a bleed on the brain, and a devastating fungal infection. Born 11 weeks premature and weighing just two pounds, Warwick spent the first several weeks of his life in intensive care. Doctors told his parents that he would most likely not survive, and if he did, he would be deaf, blind, and quadraplegic. Continue reading »
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