Autistic traits of children born very preterm assessed using Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition.

Researchers compared children with autism who were born very early (before 32 weeks) to those born on time. They used standard autism assessment tools to measure autism traits and severity. Even though being born early increases the chance of having autism, the study found that autism looks very similar in both groups - early-born children with autism didn't show different types or severity of autism traits compared to children born on time.

This study compared autistic traits between children diagnosed with autism who were born very preterm (n=50) versus those born at term (n=16) using standardized assessment tools (ADOS-2 and SRS-2). Despite preterm birth being linked to increased autism incidence, researchers found no significant differences in autism severity scores between the two groups. There was a non-significant trend toward lower social responsiveness scores in the preterm group. The findings align with previous research suggesting that while preterm birth may increase autism risk, the presentation of autistic traits appears similar regardless of birth timing.

This challenges assumptions about distinct autism phenotypes based on gestational age at birth.

Clinicians can apply similar autism assessment and intervention approaches for children regardless of preterm birth history. However, the increased autism risk in preterm populations still warrants enhanced screening. Findings suggest autism interventions developed for term-born children may be equally applicable to preterm-born children.

Small sample size, particularly for the term-born comparison group (n=16). Cross-sectional design limits understanding of developmental trajectories. Study design type not clearly specified, affecting interpretation of methodology and potential confounding factors.

Preterm birth has been linked with increased incidence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Despite the remarkable difference in the clinical backgrounds between ASD children born preterm and term, cross-sectional studies have found no striking difference in their autistic traits. To highlight autistic traits related with preterm birth, children born very preterm (prospective birth cohort, n = 50) and term (case cohort, n = 16), who were diagnosed as "Autism" by the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), 2nd edition, were compared using the calibrated severity scores of ADOS-2 and T-scores of the Social Responsiveness Scale, 2nd edition. No significant difference was found in the calibrated severity scores between ASD children born preterm and term.

There was a trend that T-scores were smaller for the preterm cohort, which did not reach a statistical significance. Even when detailed cross-sectional information was obtained using ADOS-2, no difference in autistic traits was observed between children born very preterm and term. Our findings were consistent with a previous study, which assessed the entire prospective cohort of children born very preterm and found no difference in original ADOS scores. Further studies are warranted to delineate how preterm birth affects the autistic traits and their parental perception in a large prospective cohort.