Haloperidol-related dyskinesias and pre- and perinatal complications in autistic children.

It has been hypothesized that an association exists between pre- and perinatal complications, central nervous system (CNS) dysfunction, and the development of tardive (TD) and withdrawal dyskinesias (WD). We assessed the relationship between pre- and perinatal complications and TD/WD in a sample of 118 children with autism who participated in an ongoing long-term prospective study of the efficacy and safety of haloperidol. The mean total Rochester Research Obstetrical Scale (ROS) score was significantly higher for children who developed TD/WD compared to those who did not (p = .007) as was the mean score of the ROS Delivery Scale (p = .002). Anesthesia during delivery was more frequent in children who developed TD/WD (25 of 40, 62.5%) than in those who did not (30 of 78, 38.5%) (p = .019). The ROS Not Vertex Presentation item and TD/WD were associated only in females (p = .019). Six of 7 males with short labor developed TD/WD (p = .007). ROS scores did not differ significantly as a function of gender or socio-economic status (SES). Pre- and perinatal complications appear to be related to the development of TD/WD in this sample of children.