title: Prenatal acquired cytomegalovirus infection should be considered in children with autism.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of congenital cytomegalovirus infection (CMV) in a representative sample of children with autism spectrum disorder.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a representative group of 115 preschool children with autism spectrum disorder, of whom 33 also had intellectual disability, the dried blood spots from the newborn metabolic screening were analysed for CMV DNA using TaqMan polymerase chain reaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One of the 33 children with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability - 3% of that group - had congenital CMV infection. The corresponding prevalence in newborn infants in Sweden is 0.2%. None of the 82 children without intellectual disability had congenital CMV.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The finding lends some further support for congenital CMV being one of the many aetiologies underlying autism spectrum disorder with intellectual disability. The rate of 3% of congenital CMV in children with autism spectrum disorder with intellectual disability has implications for the medical work-up. The finding of congenital CMV also indicates the need for repeated hearing assessments in the child. There is a need for similar studies with much larger samples.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatrics, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.|Division of Pediatrics, Emergency and General Pediatrics Section, Astrid Lindgren Children's Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Mona-Lisa
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Engman
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatrics, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.|Division of Pediatrics, Hematology, Immunology and SCT Section, Astrid Lindgren Children's Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Mikael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sundin
authors.affiliation: Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Carmela
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Miniscalco
authors.affiliation: Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden.|Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Joakim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Westerlund
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Microbiology, Karolinska University Laboratory, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Ilona
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lewensohn-Fuchs
authors.affiliation: Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gillberg
authors.affiliation: Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fernell
mesh_terms: D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder / Q000821:virology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000151:congenital* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence
keywords: Autism; Congenital cytomegalovirus infection; Dried blood spots; Intellectual disability