The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has increased in recent decades, much of which is related to changes in diagnostic criteria, and greater awareness among professionals and parents. Using a prospective cross-sectional study design, this study explores the prevalence of ASD among 173 adolescents admitted to two psychiatric facilities…

We analyzed claims data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance database, which contains data of 23.5 million Taiwan residents. We included children born after January 1, 2000 who had received a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Patients who were not diagnosed with ASD were included in the control group. The ASD prevalence was 517 in…

Research has linked pre- and perinatal complications (PPCs) with increased risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, PPCs are also known risk factors for other mental health disorders. This study explored which PPCs are specific risk factors for ASD, as opposed to other forms of psychopathology, among a large sample of clinically-referred…

We studied the association of early-life environmental and child factors with disruptive behaviors in children with autistic traits around age 7, in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (n = 6,401). Logistic regression with the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator indicated that disruptive behaviors were associated with…

The objective is to identify obstetric and perinatal factors that could be significant predictors of ASD and may lead to early detection and intervention. A population-based case-control study including 128 children diagnosed with ASD and 311 controls was conducted. Information was collected through self-reported questionnaires. The factors…

Mode of delivery, preterm birth, and low birth weight (LBW) are hypothesized to be associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the offspring. Using data from 343 ASD cases (2-8 years) and their age- and sex-matched typically developing controls in Jamaica we investigated these hypotheses. Our statistical analyses revealed that the parish of…

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a pervasive neurodevelopmental disorder that brings heavy burdens to families and the society. This case-control study explored risk factors for ASD based on 74,252 children aged 3-12 years who were recruited from general education kindergartens, primary schools, and special education schools in Shanghai, China.…

Impairments in postural control affect the development of motor and social skills in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This review compared the effect of different sensory conditions on static standing postural control between ASD and neurotypical individuals. Results from 19 studies indicated a large difference in postural control…

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been associated with gastrointestinal (GI) problems, but the nature of this association is unclear. Parents to siblings, concordant or discordant for ASD (N = 217), participated in a web survey covering mother's weight gain during pregnancy, maternal viral/bacterial infection and use of antibiotics, duration of…

This case-control study explores the association between pregnancy/birth complications and other factors with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Lebanese subjects aged 2-18 years. Researchers interviewed 136 ASD cases from the American University of Beirut Medical Center Special Kids Clinic, and 178 controls selected by systematic digit dialing in…

While studies report associations between perinatal outcomes and both autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID), there has been little study of ASD with versus without co-occurring ID. We compared perinatal risk factors among 7547 children in the 2006-2010 Autism and Developmental Disability Monitoring Network classified as…

We conducted a case-control study using 190 Han children with and without autism to investigate prenatal and perinatal risk factors for autism in China. Cases were recruited through public special education schools and controls from regular public schools in the same region (Tianjin), with frequency matching on sex and birth year. Unadjusted…

Twenty-five autistic children were compared with 25 controls for number of factors identified as optimal in the pre-, peri-, and neonatal period, as noted in medical records. Autistic Ss showed greatly reduced optimality, especially with regard to prenatal factors, in contrast with other reports denying brain injury in autism. (Author/CL)

Contemporaneous birth records of 49 Dublin (Ireland) children with autism were compared to those of the previous same-sex live birth for maternal age, maternal parity, birth order, and birth weight. Autistic individuals did not differ from controls in terms of risk factors for autism associated with obstetric adversity, disputing the view that…

Pregnancy and delivery complications in the birth of 23 high-functioning autistic females and 23 high-functioning autistic males of similar intelligence quotient and age were compared with those of 54 normally developing siblings. Findings suggest that these factors may be less significant in high-functioning individuals than in severely retarded…