Association of Adverse Antenatal and Perinatal Events with Occurrence of Autism: A Case Control Study

Thursday, May 17, 2012
Sheraton Hall (Sheraton Centre Toronto)
3:00 PM
Y. M. Al-Farsi1, M. M. Al-Khaduri1, M. Al-Sharbati1, M. I. Waly1, O. A. Al-Farsi1, M. Al-Shafaee1 and R. Deth2, (1)Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman, (2)Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
Background:  

Early life events, especially during perinatal and neonatal period, have been proposed as important factors in the etiologic pathways of autism

Objectives:  

To evaluate the association between selected antental and perinatal adverse events and autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

Methods:  

A retrospective case-control study has been nested on ongoing prospective cohort study, and it included 102 ASD cases and 102 controls.

Results:

 Adjusted odds ratios (OR) were generated from logistic regression models. ASD was found to be associated with social problems during pregnancy (OR = 1.39; 95% CI 1.01, 4.2), serious illness or trauma (OR = 1.5; 95% CI 1.02, 3.2), medication intake during pregnancy (OR = 1.6; 95% CI 0.96, 4.6), and premature delivery (OR = 1.7; 95% CI 1.1, 2.6). No evidence has been obtained for a significant association with gestational diabetes, anemia, and exposure to X-ray, or caesarian section.

Conclusions:  

This study indicates that adverse early life events mightbe associated with increased risk of ASD. Further proof is sought through conduct of an undergoing prospective cohort study.

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