Autism And Premature Babies
According to recent studies, premature birth is connected to an increased chance of having autism, with the true basis of this association being due to the premature birth itself, rather than other genetic/environmental factors. According to the study in Pediatrics, the earlier a baby is born, the higher there is likelihood of having autism. Previous research implies that babies born preterm (37th week of pregnancy), have roughly a 30 percent higher chance of having autism than those who are born full-term. With 11 percent of worldwide births being premature, more than 95 percent of these births survive modern neonatal care.
Although it is certain that prematurity is a definite cause for autism for a lot of newborns, the profound reasoning behind it is still yet to be discovered. There are a plethora of possibilities of the causation behind this including many different factors. An example of a possibility could be prematurity increasing the chances of autism through inflammation of the brain and nervous systems. Other possibilities factors due to complications during pregnancy such as bleeding or high blood pressure, exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and more.
There is a wide range of possibilities that could lead to the causation of the development of autism in premature babies. However, these factors alone are unlikely to cause autism. There is still yet so much to discover regarding the causes of autism, and through future research, the possibilities of acquiring answers are endless.
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