Ultrasound at birth can predict autism risk

Ultrasound at birth can predict autism risk

MICHIGAN STATE (US) — Low-birth-weight babies with a particular brain abnormality are at greater risk for autism, according to new research that could offer doctors an early way to detect the condition.  Published in the Journal of Pediatrics, the study shows that newborns were seven times more likely to be diagnosed with autism later in life if an ultrasound taken just after birth showed they had enlarged ventricles, cavities in the brain that store spinal fluid.

“For many years there’s been a lot of controversy about whether vaccinations or environmental factors influence the development of autism, and there’s always the question of at what age a child begins to develop the disorder,” says lead author Tammy Movsas, clinical assistant professor of pediatrics at Michigan State University and medical director of the Midland County Department of Public Health. "What this study shows us is that an ultrasound scan within the first few days of life may already be able to detect brain abnormalities that indicate a higher risk of developing autism.”

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