Exploring the relation between prenatal and neonatal complications and later autistic-like features in a representative community sample of twins

Child Dev. 2010 Jan-Feb;81(1):166-82. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2009.01387.x.

Abstract

Prenatal and neonatal events were reported by parents of 13,690 eighteen-month-old twins enrolled in the Twins Early Development Study, a representative community sample born in England and Wales. At ages 7-8, parents and teachers completed questionnaires on social and nonsocial autistic-like features and parents completed the Childhood Asperger Syndrome Test. Correlations between prenatal and neonatal events and autistic-like features were weak, both in the whole sample (r = .00-.07) and at the 5% quantitative extreme (phenotypic group correlations = .01-.11), after controlling for socioeconomic status and cognitive ability. Neonatal problems showed modest heritability (13%-14%) and significant shared and nonshared environmental influences (55%-59% and 28%-31%, respectively). Differences in identical twins' neonatal problems correlated weakly with their difference scores on autistic-like features (r = .01-.06).

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Twin Study

MeSH terms

  • Age Factors
  • Asperger Syndrome / epidemiology
  • Asperger Syndrome / etiology*
  • Asperger Syndrome / psychology
  • Autistic Disorder / epidemiology
  • Autistic Disorder / etiology*
  • Autistic Disorder / psychology
  • Child
  • Diseases in Twins / complications*
  • Diseases in Twins / diagnosis
  • Diseases in Twins / epidemiology
  • England / epidemiology
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Infant, Newborn, Diseases* / epidemiology
  • Male
  • Parents
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Complications* / epidemiology
  • Psychological Tests
  • Risk Factors
  • Sampling Studies
  • Social Behavior*
  • Social Class
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Twins / psychology
  • Wales / epidemiology