autism and traumatic births?

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I was born a few weeks before my birthdate, I was also very small in size.

My birth is normal, and I'm an aspie. There were no complications I asked.
My sister's birth ended on a c-section because she was on a transverse birth position, and she's an NT. My mom ended up worse to 50-50. She's also 31 years old that time. Funny isn't? XD

And genes? Not so much. I barely know it on either sides.. But I might have suspected that at least one of my (direct) grandfathers is somewhat in the spectrum... But they're both gone already.

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Here is the study from the medical Journal "Pediatrics" -The official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Perinatal and Neonatal Risk Factors for Autism: A Comprehensive Meta-analysis

Hannah Gardener, ScDa,
Donna Spiegelman, ScDa,b,
Stephen L. Buka, ScDc

snip:


RESULTS: Over 60 perinatal and neonatal factors were examined. Factors associated with autism risk in the meta-analysis were abnormal presentation, umbilical-cord complications, fetal distress, birth injury or trauma, multiple birth, maternal hemorrhage, summer birth, low birth weight, small for gestational age, congenital malformation, low 5-minute Apgar score, feeding difficulties, meconium aspiration, neonatal anemia, ABO or Rh incompatibility, and hyperbilirubinemia. Factors not associated with autism risk included anesthesia, assisted vaginal delivery, postterm birth, high birth weight, and head circumference.


CONCLUSIONS: There is insufficient evidence to implicate any 1 perinatal or neonatal factor in autism etiology, although there is some evidence to suggest that exposure to a broad class of conditions reflecting general compromises to perinatal and neonatal health may increase the risk. Methodological variations were likely sources of heterogeneity of risk factor effects across studies.

read study:

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/128/2/344.full?sid=89bf23c4-2b25-4b3f-8729-1fa5935e20d3

I had a healthy birth too but I'm autistic. Not mild either.

I had a sever lung infection. I was on a cardiopulmonary bypass machine for a couple weeks. Still have a scar on my neck where they inserted some tubes for something or other. I walked on my toes until I was around six years old.

"CONCLUSIONS: There is insufficient evidence to implicate any 1 perinatal or neonatal factor in autism etiology, although there is some evidence to suggest that exposure to a broad class of conditions reflecting general compromises to perinatal and neonatal health may increase the risk. Methodological variations were likely sources of heterogeneity of risk factor effects across studies."

I did read the study and found the conclusion wording misleading. What I got out of the report was they did not find one huge smoke belching cannon, but did find 6-8 birth complications that are coupled with significantly higher autism rates... a half dozen moderate smoking guns, so to speak.

But they are unsure of cause and effect. Does a congenital autism cause more birth complications or vice versa?

They do say elsewhere in the report they estimate birth complications together are responsible for 12% of autism cases. This is a fairly large number when talking about autism causes. One of the other main causes, single gene mutations is 20%.

The report is also 3 years old and several new studies have all found connection and even added to the suspects.

The apparent multiplicity of causes and unknown interrelations continues to drive researchers mad.