Riikka Pyhälä1, Petteri Hovi2, Marius Lahti3, Sara Sammallahti3, Jari Lahti3, Kati Heinonen3, Anu-Katriina Pesonen3, Sonja Strang-Karlsson2, Johan G Eriksson4, Sture Andersson5, Anna-Liisa Järvenpää5, Eero Kajantie6, Katri Räikkönen3. 1. Institute of Behavioural Sciences, and riikka.pyhala@helsinki.fi. 2. Children's Hospital, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland; National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland; 3. Institute of Behavioural Sciences, and. 4. National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland; Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Vasa Central Hospital, Vasa, Finland; Unit of General Practice, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland; Folkhälsan Research Centre, Helsinki, Finland; and. 5. Children's Hospital, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland; 6. Children's Hospital, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland; National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Medical Research Centre Oulu, Oulu University Central Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: We examined whether adults born preterm at very low birth weight (VLBW; <1500 g) differ from term-born adults in autism-spectrum traits, and whether among VLBW adults, growth in infancy is associated with these traits. METHODS: A total of 110 VLBW and 104 term-born adults of the Helsinki Study of Very Low Birth Weight Adults completed the Autism-Spectrum Quotient yielding total, social interaction, and attention to detail sum scores. Growth in weight, length, and head circumference from birth to term and from term to 1 year of corrected age was determined as standardized residuals reflecting growth conditional on previous history. RESULTS: VLBW adults scored higher than term-born controls on social interaction sum score, indicating higher autism-spectrum traits. In contrast, they scored lower on attention to detail sum score, indicating lower autism-spectrum traits. Within the VLBW group, faster growth in weight, length, and head circumference from birth to term was associated with lower total and social interaction sum scores. In this group, growth from term to 1 year was not associated with autism-spectrum traits. CONCLUSIONS: Among those born preterm at VLBW, the risk for higher levels of autism-spectrum traits, particularly related to social interaction, may persist into adulthood. Faster growth from birth to term may ameliorate these effects, suggesting that targeted interventions could aid long-term neurodevelopment.
OBJECTIVES: We examined whether adults born preterm at very low birth weight (VLBW; <1500 g) differ from term-born adults in autism-spectrum traits, and whether among VLBW adults, growth in infancy is associated with these traits. METHODS: A total of 110 VLBW and 104 term-born adults of the Helsinki Study of Very Low Birth Weight Adults completed the Autism-Spectrum Quotient yielding total, social interaction, and attention to detail sum scores. Growth in weight, length, and head circumference from birth to term and from term to 1 year of corrected age was determined as standardized residuals reflecting growth conditional on previous history. RESULTS: VLBW adults scored higher than term-born controls on social interaction sum score, indicating higher autism-spectrum traits. In contrast, they scored lower on attention to detail sum score, indicating lower autism-spectrum traits. Within the VLBW group, faster growth in weight, length, and head circumference from birth to term was associated with lower total and social interaction sum scores. In this group, growth from term to 1 year was not associated with autism-spectrum traits. CONCLUSIONS: Among those born preterm at VLBW, the risk for higher levels of autism-spectrum traits, particularly related to social interaction, may persist into adulthood. Faster growth from birth to term may ameliorate these effects, suggesting that targeted interventions could aid long-term neurodevelopment.
Authors: Shenandoah Robinson; Christopher J Corbett; Jesse L Winer; Lindsay A S Chan; Jessie R Maxwell; Christopher V Anstine; Tracylyn R Yellowhair; Nicholas A Andrews; Yirong Yang; Laurel O Sillerud; Lauren L Jantzie Journal: Exp Neurol Date: 2017-12-26 Impact factor: 5.330
Authors: Rebecca Armstrong; Andrew J O Whitehouse; James G Scott; David A Copland; Katie L McMahon; Sophie Fleming; Wendy Arnott Journal: J Autism Dev Disord Date: 2017-05
Authors: Bizu Gelaye; Amber Domingue; Fernanda Rebelo; Lauren E Friedman; Chunfang Qiu; Sixto E Sanchez; Gloria Larrabure-Torrealva; Michelle A Williams Journal: Psychol Health Med Date: 2018-10-31 Impact factor: 2.423
Authors: Sara Sammallahti; Eero Kajantie; Hanna-Maria Matinolli; Riikka Pyhälä; Jari Lahti; Kati Heinonen; Marius Lahti; Anu-Katriina Pesonen; Johan G Eriksson; Petteri Hovi; Anna-Liisa Järvenpää; Sture Andersson; Katri Raikkonen Journal: PLoS One Date: 2017-09-28 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Sara Sammallahti; Marius Lahti; Riikka Pyhälä; Jari Lahti; Anu-Katriina Pesonen; Kati Heinonen; Petteri Hovi; Johan G Eriksson; Sonja Strang-Karlsson; Anna-Liisa Järvenpää; Sture Andersson; Eero Kajantie; Katri Räikkönen Journal: PLoS One Date: 2015-09-01 Impact factor: 3.240