McKeague IW, Brown AS, Bao Y, Hinkka-Yli-Salomäki S, Huttunen J, Sourander A. Autism with intellectual disability related to dynamics of head circumference growth during early infancy.
Biol Psychiatry 2015;
77:833-40. [PMID:
25444163 DOI:
10.1016/j.biopsych.2014.08.008]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2013] [Revised: 06/24/2014] [Accepted: 08/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND
It is not yet definitively known whether dynamic features of head circumference growth are associated with autism. To address this issue, we carried out a nested matched case-control study using data from national well baby clinics in Finland; autism cases were identified from the Finnish Hospital and Outpatient Discharge Registry.
METHODS
A nonparametric Bayesian method was used to construct growth velocity trajectories between birth and 2 years of age in autism cases and matched control subjects (n = 468 in main analyses, 1:1 matched control subjects). Estimates of odds ratios for autism risk in relation to the growth velocities were obtained using conditional logistic regression.
RESULTS
Growth velocity of head circumference at 3 months of age, adjusting for gestational age at birth and maternal age, is significantly associated with autism (p = .014); the finding was observed in subjects with comorbid intellectual disability (ID) (p = .025) but not in those without ID (p = .15). Height growth velocity among subjects with autism and without ID is significantly associated with autism at 6 months (p = .007), and weight growth velocity at 18 months without ID (p = .02) and 24 months without ID (p = .042) and with ID (p = .037).
CONCLUSIONS
Acceleration in head circumference growth is associated with autism with comorbid ID at 3 months but not subsequently. This association is unrelated to acceleration in height and weight, which are not strongly associated with autism until after 6 months.
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