Risk factors for a child getting diagnosed with an ASD

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Yo WrongPlanet!

I am just doing another survey to see what you think (and from what you have heard on ASD-related articles) are risk factors for a child getting diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder at an early age (i.e. before the child turns 5 years old).

Risk factors that I can think of right off the top of my head are as follows:

1. Macrocephaly
- According to research on head circumference data that I have obtained from 1100+ children/teenagers for 2 separate studies that I have done (some of whom were diagnosed on the autism spectrum by
the doctor that led the study), about 45.7% [95% C.I.: 35.96%-55.72%] of the 105 patients under the age of 5 years who were macrocephalic were diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder.
In addition, about 32.9% [95% C.I.: 28.8%-37.2%] of the 501 patients under the age of 5 years who were not macrocephalic were diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder.
- P-value for the difference between these 2 proportions using the Z-test: p =0.016 (significant).
- Conclusion: Macrocephaly increases the chance of a child younger than 5 years old of getting diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder.

2. Persistent toe walking
- According to research on head circumference data that I have obtained from 900+ children/teenagers from the original study that I did (some of whom were diagnosed on the autism spectrum
by the doctor that led the study), about 78.9% [95% C.I.: 54.4%-93.9%] of the 19 patients under the age of 5 years who exhibited persistent toe walking was diagnosed with an autism spectrum
disorder. In addition, about 41.4% [95% C.I.: 36.5%-46.3%] of the 406 patientts under the age of 5 years who did not exhibit persistent toe walking was diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder.
- P-value for the difference between these 2 proportions using the Z-test: p < 0.001 (extremely significant)
- Conclusion: Exhibition of persistent toe walking before the age of 5 years increases the chance of that child getting diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder.

3. Not walking at 18 months of age
- According to research on head circumference data that I have obtained from 900+ children/teenagers from the original study that I did (some of whom were diagnosed on the autism spectrum
by the doctor that led the study), about 48.7% [95% C.I.: 36.9%-60.6%] of the 74 patients who didn't start walking at the age of 18 months was diagnosed with an autism
spectrum disorder. In addition, about 32.6% [95% C.I.: 29.3%-36.1%] of the 772 patients who started walking no later than 18 months was diagnosed with an autism spectrum
disorder.
- P-value for the difference between these 2 proportions using the Z-test: p =0.008 (very significant)
- Conclusion: A child who doesn't start walking at 18 months of age is at a higher risk of getting diagnosed with an ASD than one who started to walk at a time point earlier than 18 months of age.

4. Genetics
- ASD gene is present in the child's family = higher risk of the child getting diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder.

5. Paternal Age at Child's Conception
- older fathers = higher risk of the child getting diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder.

6. Maternal Age at Child's Conception
- older mothers = higher risk of the child getting diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder.

Can you think of any other factors that are justified to be risk factors for a child getting diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder at an early age?

If you answer either "Other" or "Some combination of the above poll options", please specify which risk factors you feel have been justified to increase the risk of a child getting diagnosed with an ASD.

Any input on this matter is appreciated.

Not sure where you're going with this, but a couple of times I've participated in surveys relating to potential areas for further research and I have suggested that further study into a link between failure to breast feed and difficulties with bottle-feeding and moving to solid foods may be worth pursuing.

My son was always difficult to feed and was referred for autism assessment when he was 5 and diagnosed when he was 7 years old. The waiting list was long!

I remember reading a while back that an unusually high proportion of babies who had such early feeding difficulties were diagnosed with ASDs in later years, but don't remember where I read that. Might have been in a book called Can't Feed, Won't Feedor similar.

My pediatrician, at eight months, noticed my head was in the 99th percentile and kind of got a little worried. My parents are nurses, though, and started measuring family members heads, and everyone was apparently in the 80th percentile. He stopped worrying.

Of course, about eighteen years later, I was diagnosed with PDD-NOS. I have autism due to a genetic accident, however, I notice that there are several eccentric relatives in my family.