A new study from the University of Pennsylvania shows that low-birthweight babies should be screened for autism like they are hearing, says Director of Autism Speaks Alycia Halladay. Autism Speaks is the nation’s largest autism science and advocacy organization. The study found that premature infants weighing less than four-and-a-half pounds at birth are five times more likely than babies born at normal weight to have an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Published in Pediatrics, from the American Academy of Pediatrics, researchers followed 862 low-birthweight babies from birth to age 21, screening 623 of them at age 16 and discovering that 11 of them had autism spectrum disorders. The current autism rate among the general public is 1 in 110. While most low-birthweight babies develop normally, the study’s evidence shows that low-birthweight babies could be better monitored for signs of a developmental disorder, Halladay says. “There’s so much that needs to be fit into a pediatric visit that developmental concerns may not get brought up,” she adds. “The same way we make sure every kid gets screened for hearing, we need to make sure that every kid gets screened for autism spectrum disorders.” Learn more about the study and autism at autismspeaks.org.

Add comment