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Thread: Can my baby have autism?

  1. #1

    Question Can my baby have autism?

    I want to know what is the required head circumference for a 1 month old baby. When I took my son to the pediatrician, she said that it was a little below normal.

    I am worried and everyone who sees my son comments how small his head and face are.

    My sister's son was autistic and this bothers me a lot. Can autism be detected this early. I am afraid even to ask my ped, as she might suggest some tests and I do not want my son to go thru all this

    Pls advise

  2. #2
    Hetal Kapoor's Avatar Member
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    Red face Can my baby have autism?

    Not sure whether autism can be detected that early but my common sense tells me that a talk with your pediatrician is essential even if it to put all your fears away. He/she will be able to guide you and do the best for baby in any circumstance. As mothers we need to be brave to face anything. Keep all negative thoughts aside.

  3. #3

    Post Can my baby have autism?

    Apeksha - here is an excerpt about head size from a research study ...

    Hopefully this is reassuring to you - basically, kids with autism have been linked (but not statisically significant) to kids with bigger heads that started off small and grew rapidly in during months 6 to 14 months. BUT, the article stresses that "25% of children have a head size at or below the 25th percentile and most of them won't develop autism."

    Here: Read the excerpt:

    "A new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Evidence of Brain Overgrowth in the First Year of Life in Autism, may offer some insight into what causes autism.

    The authors of the study examined the growth records of 48 children with autism and found that many of them had abnormal brain growth. Specifically, they had a smaller than average head size at birth (at the 25th percentile), but then had a period of rapid head growth during which their head size moved up to the 84th percentile by age 6-14 months.

    What does this mean for parents, especially if their children have autism? Mainly the study offers some evidence that whatever the cause of autism, it likely begins before a child is born (and is perhaps genetic) or very early in infancy.

    Parents shouldn't necessarily worry if their infant has a small head size though or if they follow a pattern of rapid growth in head size that was observed in the children in this study. Keep in mind that 25% of children have a head size at or below the 25th percentile and most of them won't develop autism. And 6% of healthy infants had a similar pattern of rapid head growth and didn't develop autism.

    And rapid head growth is not a sign in all kids with autism. Of the autistic children in this study, 41% did not have this rapid head growth or increase in head size.

    Still, rapid head growth may be an early warning sign of autism, so children with this pattern of growth in their head size will likely benefit from extra attention to how well they are developing and meeting their milestones.

    Source:
    JAMA 2003;290:337-344,393-394."

  4. #4

    Dont worry needlessly

    My husband is a pediatric occupational therapist and specializes in sensory problems like autism. You cannot detect autism this early in a child - autism is not diagnosed until 2 or 3 years old (very unusual to detect true autism earlier, maybe able to detect developmental delays). I think you are worrying yourself needlessly - autism has not been linked to a hereditary type of link (maybe genetic, but definitely not hereditary!)

    I am not certain about this, but I am almost positive that "small heads" have not been linked to autism! In fact, I believe research shows that "big heads" are usually linked to "syndromes" vs. "small heads"

    Also, if your pediatrician thought that your son's smaller head was a concern, she would let you know her concern.

    I agree with the other mom - keep positive thoughts and no matter what happens, you will always love your child!
    Chetna

  5. #5
    Remember that Autism is not a processing error...Its simply a different Operating System!

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