The prevalence and profile of autism in individuals born preterm: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Rory O’Sullivan¹  Catherine Laverty²  Daniel Sutherland²  Caroline Richards²  Christopher Jones²  Andrew Surtees³ 

[1] School of Psychology, Loughborough University, LE11 3TU, Loughborough, UK;School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, B15 2TT, Birmingham, UK;School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, B15 2TT, Birmingham, UK;Forward Thinking Birmingham, Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK;

关键词: Autism;    Prematurity;    Meta-analysis;    Preterm;    Low birth weight;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s11689-021-09382-1

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

IntroductionPreterm birth (<37 weeks) adversely affects development in behavioural, cognitive and mental health domains. Heightened rates of autism are identified in preterm populations, indicating that prematurity may confer an increased likelihood of adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. The present meta-analysis aims to synthesise existing literature and calculate pooled prevalence estimates for rates of autism characteristics in preterm populations.MethodsSearch terms were generated from inspection of relevant high-impact papers and a recent meta-analysis. Five databases were searched from database creation until December 2020 with PRISMA guidelines followed throughout.Results10,900 papers were retrieved, with 52 papers included in the final analyses, further classified by assessment method (screening tools N=30, diagnostic assessment N=29). Pooled prevalence estimates for autism in preterm samples was 20% when using screening tools and 6% when using diagnostic assessments. The odds of an autism diagnosis were 3.3 times higher in individuals born preterm than in the general population.ConclusionsThe pooled prevalence estimate of autism characteristics in individuals born preterm is considerably higher than in the general population. Findings highlight the clinical need to provide further monitoring and support for individuals born preterm.

【 授权许可】

CC BY