Autism spectrum disorders: head circumference and body length at birth are both relative

Grandgeorge, Marine; Lemonnier, Éric; Jallot, Nelle

doi:10.1111/apa.12264

Cited by 25 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Although consistent with other work 7,8,18,53 on the group level, newborns later diagnosed with ASD did not deviate from typical controls with regard to body or head size, at the individual level, significantly more newborns exhibited both microsomy and microcephaly. These results were present after the effects of gestational age were accounted for and highlight the presence of an increased variability in prenatal somatic growth amongst newborns later diagnosed with ASD 52 .…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Early Generalized Overgrowth in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Prevalence Rates, Gender Effects, and Clinical Outcomes

Campbell¹,

Chang²,

Chawarska³

2014

Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psych

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Objective Although early head and body overgrowth have been well-documented in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), their prevalence and significance remain unclear. It is also unclear whether overgrowth affects males and females differentially, and whether it is associated with clinical outcomes later in life. Method To evaluate prevalence of somatic overgrowth, gender effects, and associations with clinical outcomes, head circumference, height, and weight measurements were collected retrospectively between birth and 2 years of age in toddlers with ASD (n=200) and typically developing (TD; n=147) community controls. Symptom severity, verbal, and nonverbal functioning were assessed at 4 years. Results Abnormalities in somatic growth in infants with ASD were consistent with early generalized overgrowth (EGO). Boys but not girls with ASD were larger and exhibited an increased rate of extreme EGO compared to community controls (18.0% versus 3.4%). Presence of a larger body at birth and postnatal overgrowth were associated independently with poorer social, verbal, and nonverbal skills at 4 years. Conclusion Although early growth abnormalities in ASD are less common than previously thought, their presence is predictive of lower social, verbal, and nonverbal skills at 4 years, suggesting that they may constitute a biomarker for identifying toddlers with ASD at risk for less-optimal outcomes. The results highlight that the search for mechanisms underlying atypical brain development in ASD should consider factors responsible for both neural and non-neural tissue development during prenatal and early postnatal periods, and can be informed by the finding that early overgrowth may be more readily observed in males than females with ASD.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Early Generalized Overgrowth in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Prevalence Rates, Gender Effects, and Clinical Outcomes

Campbell¹,

Chang²,

Chawarska³

2014

Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psych

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“…Several studies have also suggested the presence of smaller head sizes at birth, 35,36 and both relative macrocephaly and microcephaly have been reported at birth. 37 However, the present study did not find differences in the head/height or head/weight ratios at any age. A lower absolute value of head size at birth was only found among boys; however, the birth weights of boys in the high-TCDD exposed group may have potentially been lower due to dioxin toxicity.…”

Section: Validity Of Dioxin Effectscontrasting

confidence: 80%

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin in breast milk increases autistic traits of 3-year-old children in Vietnam

et al. 2014

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Dioxin levels in the breast milk of mothers residing near a contaminated former airbase in Vietnam remain much higher than in unsprayed areas, suggesting high perinatal dioxin exposure for their infants. The present study investigated the association of perinatal dioxin exposure with autistic traits in 153 3-year-old children living in a contaminated area in Vietnam. The children were followed up from birth using the neurodevelopmental battery Bayley-III. The high-2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) exposed groups (⩾3.5 pg per g fat) showed significantly higher Autism Spectrum Rating Scale (ASRS) scores for both boys and girls than the mild-TCDD exposed groups, without differences in neurodevelopmental scores. In contrast, the high total dioxin-exposed group, indicated by polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/furans (PCDDs/Fs)-the toxic equivalents (TEQ) levels ⩾ 17.9 pg-TEQ per g fat, had significantly lower neurodevelopmental scores than the mild-exposed group in boys, but there was no difference in the ASRS scores. The present study demonstrates a specific impact of perinatal TCDD on autistic traits in childhood, which is different from the neurotoxicity of total dioxins (PCDDs/Fs).

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“…Thereafter, relative to growth during the first year, there is a rapid deceleration in HC between 12 and 24 mo of age, such that it is normal compared with the controls (24,27,29). HC is relatively increased in comparison with height (24,26,30,31); however, others report that HC is normal (25) or smaller (32) in relation to height. Many (19,21,28,33) have proposed that this atypical and abnormally accelerated growth in HC is due to dysregulation of growth in general rather than of neuronal growth in the brain, and this may serve as an early indicator of vulnerability to autism in children and among their infant siblings with and without a history of autistic regression.…”

Section: Results/current Status Of Knowledgementioning

confidence: 96%

Nutritional Status of Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Do We Know Enough?

Ranjan

Nasser

2015

Advances in Nutrition

121

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The incidence of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) is on the rise; therefore, well-timed screening is important. Given that this is a nutritionally vulnerable population, it is imperative to conduct a detailed nutritional assessment so that timely and intensive interventions can be recommended. This review article summarizes the research, focusing on the nutritional status of individuals with ASDs based on their anthropometric measurements, biomarkers, and dietary assessments. Research examining anthropometric measurements reveals an abnormally accelerated rate of growth among children with autism but shows inconsistent findings on the prevalence of overweight/obesity in comparison with typically growing children. Although dysregulated amino acid metabolism, increased homocysteine, and decreased folate, vitamins B-6 and B-12, and vitamin D concentrations have been proposed as possible biomarkers for an early diagnosis of ASDs, research investigating their association with age, gender, severity, and other comorbid psychiatric/nonpsychiatric disorders is lacking. There is consensus that children with autism have selective eating patterns, food neophobia, limited food repertoire, and sensory issues. Although inadequate micronutrient but adequate macronutrient intakes are increasingly reported, there are inconsistent results about the extent and type of nutrient deficiencies. Identification and development of nutritional assessment indicators that serve as early warning signs during routine practice beginning at birth and extending throughout the child's growth are necessary. With this population aging, there is also a dire need to study the adult population. A more vigorous role by nutrition professionals is warranted because management of potential comorbidities and contributory factors may be particularly problematic.

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Autism spectrum disorders: head circumference and body length at birth are both relative

Cited by 25 publications

References 27 publications

Early Generalized Overgrowth in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Prevalence Rates, Gender Effects, and Clinical Outcomes

Early Generalized Overgrowth in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Prevalence Rates, Gender Effects, and Clinical Outcomes

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin in breast milk increases autistic traits of 3-year-old children in Vietnam

Nutritional Status of Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Do We Know Enough?

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