Baby's Poor Response to Name Might Warn of Autism By Amanda Gardner
HealthDay Reporter
40 minutes ago



TUESDAY, April 3 (HealthDay News) -- A new study suggests that some
babies who fail to respond to their name by one year of age may be
at heightened risk for an autism spectrum disorder.


Early identification can mean possible early intervention and better
outcomes for affected children, say the authors of two studies aimed
at early detection, published in the April edition of Archives of
Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. The issue is devoted to autism
research.


A third study finds that every individual with the disorder accrues
about $3.2 million in costs to society over his or her lifetime.


Autism spectrum disorder seems to be becoming more prevalent, with
the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently
announcing that one in every 150 American 8-year-olds have some form
of the disorder. That number is higher than prior estimates.


Autism's causes remain cloaked in mystery, although prior research
has pointed to a strong genetic component.


Children and adults with autism experience difficulty with social
and language skills and often display repetitive behaviors. However,
the disorder is usually not diagnosed until age 3 or 4 -- even
though as many as half of parents with autistic children report
problems with development progress before their child's first
birthday.


The findings announced today may help speed diagnosis. In one study,
researchers at the M.I.N.D. Institute at the University of
California, Davis, found that one-year-old infants who don't respond
to their names are more likely to have autism or another
developmental problem by the time they're two.


This cue could represent an easy way to spot the disorder early on,
experts said.


"One of the challenges has been finding an early exam in the general
practitioner's or pediatrician's office that can serve as a warning
sign or diagnostic indicator," said Andy Shih, chief science officer
for the nation's leading advocacy group, New York City-based Autism
Speaks. "That's what this paper is getting at. It doesn't mean that
[a non-responsive child] is destined to become autistic, but there
seems to be a higher proportion who later go on to develop autism.
This, along with many other clues such as language development, eye
contact and even head circumference, are potentially simple
diagnostic tools that could be used in the general practitioner
setting."


A second study -- this time by a team at Vanderbilt University in
Nashville, Tenn. -- found that younger siblings of children with
autism perform below par on tests of social and communication
development compared with younger siblings of normal children. These
deficits may represent the early indications of an autism spectrum
disorder, the researchers said.


"This is demonstrating that even though siblings may not meet the
diagnostic criteria of autism, they seem to also have deficits in
language and the social domain. They're not developing as typical,
normal children," Shih said. "This highlights the importance of
paying attention to siblings of autistic children in terms of
development. It also shows the importance of early diagnosis. If
these deficits or delays can be identified earlier, it's a great
opportunity to provide intervention."


A third study, from researchers at Harvard University and ABT
Associates Inc, of Lexington, Mass, found that each individual with
autism accrues about $3.2 million in costs over a lifetime, with
lost productivity and adult day care making up the lion's share.


It was already known that autism costs society more than $35 billion
annually in direct and indirect expenses, but it hasn't been clear
when these costs occur over a lifetime, the researchers said.


More information


Find out more about the fight against autism at Autism Speaks.