Association of adverse antenatal and perinatal events with occurrence of Autism: A Case Control Study

Abstract

BackgroundEarly life events, especially during perinatal and neonatal period, have been proposed as important factors in the etiologic pathways of autism.ObjectivesTo evaluate the association between selected antental and perinatal adverse events and autism spectrum disorders (ASD).MethodsA retrospective case‐control study has been nested on ongoing prospective cohort study, and it included 102 ASD cases and 102 controls.ResultsAdjusted 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.ConclusionsThis 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.