Any autistic kids here premies?

Marguerite

Active Member
My kids were all early, but only by a few weeks. However, I did have early contractions which with my last three, I needed medication to damp it down. I was on double the dose for difficult child 3 and he is the most autistic by far. But he was only a week early. But is this related? I just don't know.

There are so many possible factors, perhaps because autism isn't just one condition but perhaps a number of them. The brain is a complex organ, so many things can happen on a micro level which have a macro effect. I can also see a possible genetic link with other members of the family on both sides.

All research is interesting but I also read some of the comments beneath the article - some people just have no idea how to interpret reports like this. Although the researchers made it clear that the most that could be inferred from their work is that prematurity MAY be ONE possible LINK, people were saying, "My kids were premature and they're not autistic." And similar.

I think that's why we still have the arguments over vaccines, and many other things. In autism, there could be many possible causes, sometimes multiple factors including genetic. I know one girl who is functionally autistic after half her brain was irreversibly damaged in a car accident when she was a toddler. But her younger brother is Aspie. So what would she have been if not for the car accident? The mother doesn't know but always wonders.

Autism is a description. That's why it's called a spectrum disorder. The more information the better, but we can't look to applying that information until a great deal more work has been done.

Marg
 

sandman3

New Member
Yes, mine was a preemie....and I had been on drugs to stop contractions for several weeks prior to their (twins) birth. Of course I'm always sure to report this to any new docs, etc that we see. I do wonder sometimes.
 

susiestar

Roll With It
Well, my Aspie was 3 1/2 weeks LATE!! Jess was on time, but had cord around her neck and a bowel movement as she was born (or just before). thank you was 35 1/2 weeks, at 36 weeks he would not have been considered a preemie. So, by what the docs say, he was a preemie by 3 days. He has sensory integration disorder, asthma and food sensitivities.

Interesting article. But, Marg is right in that so MANY factors may or may not contribute.

Susie
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
Travis was also 3 + late, thanks to OB who argued the due date with me.

However, Travis's autism is attributed to both birth trauma AND genetics. It is stated that way on his records and in the neuro reports that I have. doctor said via family history he suspects Travis would've have a milder form of autism, but the areas of the brain damaged due to oxygen deprivation probably made what genetics had already given him much more severe.

And did you know that many kids with cerebral palsy also have autism? When I learned this it made me speechless. The main cause of CP is birth trauma.

So when you stop to think that many preemies have issues with breathing and such......It doesn't really surprise me.
 
M

ML

Guest
I worry about the 2 months of a terbutaline pump while I was on bedrest for contractions. I worry about the IVF, the ICSI, the fact that my body didn't product enough breastmilk and we had to use formula... which he was allergic to. I consider the reflux, the allergies, the collick and everything else. It's hard when you look back and wonder if you had done something differently if your child wouldn't have the struggles. Then I try to remind myself that I always did the best I could with the knowledge I had at the time.
 
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