Abstract
Introduction Several lines of research support the hypothesised connection between the level of insulin-like growth factor-1 in the foetus and neonate and the potential of autistic characteristics appearing in the first 2 or 3 years of life. This model could account for the dominance of male over female occurrence, the relationship to maternal antepartum infection and the potential benefit of breast-feeding in preventing or reducing the psychoneurologic manifestations of autism. Conclusion The level of insulin-like growth factor, especially in cases of insulin-like growth factor gene polymorphism, could determine the likelihood in new-bornsthat they may subsequently exhibit the characteristics of infantile autism. Such suppression of IGF could also serve as a biomarker to aid in the diagnosis of autism.
Highlights
Several lines of research support the hypothesised connection between the level of insulin-like growth factor-1 in the foetus and neonate and the potential of autistic characteristics appearing in the first 2 or 3 years of life
If one child has been diagnosed with autism, the odds of his or her parents later conceiving a second affected sibling increase about 20 times[1], suggesting an autosomal recessive trait
It is believed that such genetic errors lead to synaptic malfunction[11], their infrequency does not explain the majority of cases of autism
Summary
Several lines of research support the hypothesised connection between the level of insulin-like growth factor-1 in the foetus and neonate and the potential of autistic characteristics appearing in the first 2 or 3 years of life This model could account for the dominance of male over female occurrence, the relationship to maternal antepartum infection and the potential benefit of breast-feeding in preventing or reducing the psychoneurologic manifestations of autism. Autism is the result of defective neural development in the foetus, neonate and young child. Autism is a disease diagnosed through neurologic or psychological testing such as the M-CHAT, ADOS-2 and CARS2 These examinations entail subjective impressions on the part of the testing professionals; divergence of conclusions between examiners may result. It is important to develop a quantitative, objective approach to the diagnostic process
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