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Discover Pediatric Collections on COVID-19 and Racism and Its Effects on Pediatric Health

American Academy of Pediatrics
Article

Very Low Birth Weight, Infant Growth, and Autism-Spectrum Traits in Adulthood

Riikka Pyhälä, Petteri Hovi, Marius Lahti, Sara Sammallahti, Jari Lahti, Kati Heinonen, Anu-Katriina Pesonen, Sonja Strang-Karlsson, Johan G. Eriksson, Sture Andersson, Anna-Liisa Järvenpää, Eero Kajantie and Katri Räikkönen
Pediatrics December 2014, 134 (6) 1075-1083; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2014-1097
Riikka Pyhälä
aInstitute of Behavioural Sciences, and
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Petteri Hovi
bChildren's Hospital, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland;
cNational Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland;
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Marius Lahti
aInstitute of Behavioural Sciences, and
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Sara Sammallahti
aInstitute of Behavioural Sciences, and
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Jari Lahti
aInstitute of Behavioural Sciences, and
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Kati Heinonen
aInstitute of Behavioural Sciences, and
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Anu-Katriina Pesonen
aInstitute of Behavioural Sciences, and
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Sonja Strang-Karlsson
bChildren's Hospital, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland;
cNational Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland;
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Johan G. Eriksson
cNational Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland;
dInstitute of Clinical Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland;
eVasa Central Hospital, Vasa, Finland;
fUnit of General Practice, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland;
gFolkhälsan Research Centre, Helsinki, Finland; and
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Sture Andersson
bChildren's Hospital, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland;
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Anna-Liisa Järvenpää
bChildren's Hospital, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland;
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Eero Kajantie
bChildren's Hospital, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland;
cNational Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland;
hDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Medical Research Centre Oulu, Oulu University Central Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
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Katri Räikkönen
aInstitute of Behavioural Sciences, and
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Abstract

OBJECTIVES: We examined whether adults born preterm at very low birth weight (VLBW; <1500 g) differ from term-born adults in autism-spectrum traits, and whether among VLBW adults, growth in infancy is associated with these traits.

METHODS: A total of 110 VLBW and 104 term-born adults of the Helsinki Study of Very Low Birth Weight Adults completed the Autism-Spectrum Quotient yielding total, social interaction, and attention to detail sum scores. Growth in weight, length, and head circumference from birth to term and from term to 1 year of corrected age was determined as standardized residuals reflecting growth conditional on previous history.

RESULTS: VLBW adults scored higher than term-born controls on social interaction sum score, indicating higher autism-spectrum traits. In contrast, they scored lower on attention to detail sum score, indicating lower autism-spectrum traits. Within the VLBW group, faster growth in weight, length, and head circumference from birth to term was associated with lower total and social interaction sum scores. In this group, growth from term to 1 year was not associated with autism-spectrum traits.

CONCLUSIONS: Among those born preterm at VLBW, the risk for higher levels of autism-spectrum traits, particularly related to social interaction, may persist into adulthood. Faster growth from birth to term may ameliorate these effects, suggesting that targeted interventions could aid long-term neurodevelopment.

  • autism-spectrum
  • preterm birth
  • very low birth weight
  • infant growth
  • Accepted September 24, 2014.
  • Copyright © 2014 by the American Academy of Pediatrics

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Pediatrics
Vol. 134, Issue 6
1 Dec 2014
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Very Low Birth Weight, Infant Growth, and Autism-Spectrum Traits in Adulthood
Riikka Pyhälä, Petteri Hovi, Marius Lahti, Sara Sammallahti, Jari Lahti, Kati Heinonen, Anu-Katriina Pesonen, Sonja Strang-Karlsson, Johan G. Eriksson, Sture Andersson, Anna-Liisa Järvenpää, Eero Kajantie, Katri Räikkönen
Pediatrics Dec 2014, 134 (6) 1075-1083; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2014-1097

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Very Low Birth Weight, Infant Growth, and Autism-Spectrum Traits in Adulthood
Riikka Pyhälä, Petteri Hovi, Marius Lahti, Sara Sammallahti, Jari Lahti, Kati Heinonen, Anu-Katriina Pesonen, Sonja Strang-Karlsson, Johan G. Eriksson, Sture Andersson, Anna-Liisa Järvenpää, Eero Kajantie, Katri Räikkönen
Pediatrics Dec 2014, 134 (6) 1075-1083; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2014-1097
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