Autism Spectrum Disorder

Adverse psychiatric, neurodevelopmental and physical outcomes among children reportedly associated with in utero exposure to antidepressants appeared to be caused by the underlying maternal disorder, according to results of a systematic review published in Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

Psychiatric control and discordant-sibling design studies did not support an association between prenatal antidepressant exposure and autism, according to results of a meta-analysis published in American Journal of Psychiatry.

An analysis of 2,152 children showed that screen viewing at age 12 months was associated with a “modest [but] notable” increase in autism spectrum disorder-like symptoms at age 2 years, though not an increase in ASD risk, researchers reported in JAMA Pediatrics.

Infants who experienced sleep onset problems during the first year of life were significantly more likely to be diagnosed later with autism spectrum disorder, according to results of a longitudinal neuroimaging study published in American Journal of Psychiatry.

Environmental factors linked to autism spectrum disorder did not increase in importance over time and thus are unlikely to explain the increase in ASD prevalence, according to results of a twin design study published in JAMA Psychiatry.

Researchers have reported additional evidence suggesting an independent association between advanced parental age and increased risk for autism spectrum disorder among offspring.

The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder among 8-year-olds climbed 10% between 2014 and 2016 to 1 in 54 children, according to an analysis of data published in MMWR. For the first time, ASD prevalence in black and white children was the same.

Preeclampsia in term pregnancies appeared to have lasting effects on the neurodevelopment of the child, according to results of a prospective, population-based cohort study published in JAMA Psychiatry.

Researchers have identified key tends in the diagnosis and presentation of autism spectrum disorder. Of note, girls are diagnosed with autism an average of 1.5 years later than boys, they wrote in Autism Research.

Pediatric feeding disorders are common in children with autism, and medical issues associated with these disorders could be overlooked due to underlying behavioral, communication and sensory challenges, according to a presentation at the International Pediatric Feeding Disorder Conference.