Pre- and perinatal factors in high-functioning females and males with autism. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • Pregnancy and delivery complications as indicated in medical records and maternal reports for 23 high-functioning autistic females and 23 high-functioning males of similar IQ and age were compared with those of 54 of their normally developing siblings. Autistic subjects of both sexes had higher non-optimality scores than their siblings. Much of this difference was accounted for by a higher incidence of firstborns and fourth- or later-borns in the autistic group. Of factors found in previous research with mentally handicapped, autistic samples, only estimated weeks of gestation greater than 42 occurred more often in autistic subjects than siblings. The only sex difference specific to the autistic group was that autistic males came from larger families than females. These data provide slight support for the contribution of nonspecific pre- and perinatal factors to other etiological bases of autism. It is proposed that pre- and perinatal factors may play less of a role in autism in high-functioning individuals than suggested in studies of autism associated with severe retardation.

publication date

  • June 1, 1991

Research

keywords

  • Autistic Disorder
  • Brain Damage, Chronic
  • Obstetric Labor Complications
  • Pregnancy Complications

Identity

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 0025943775

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1007/BF02284760

PubMed ID

  • 1864827

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 21

issue

  • 2