title: Does Autism Diagnosis Age or Symptom Severity Differ Among Children According to Whether Assisted Reproductive Technology was Used to Achieve Pregnancy?
abstract: Previous studies report associations between conception with assisted reproductive technology (ART) and autism. Whether these associations reflect an ascertainment or biologic effect is undetermined. We assessed diagnosis age and initial autism symptom severity among >30,000 children with autism from a linkage study of California Department of Developmental Services records, birth records, and the National ART Surveillance System. Median diagnosis age and symptom severity levels were significantly lower for ART-conceived than non-ART-conceived children. After adjustment for differences in the socio-demographic profiles of the two groups, the diagnosis age differentials were greatly attenuated and there were no differences in autism symptomatology. Thus, ascertainment issues related to SES, not ART per se, are likely the driving influence of the differences we initially observed.
authors.affiliation: National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, MS E-86, 1600 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA, 30333, USA, LSchieve@cdc.gov.
authors.forename: Laura A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Schieve
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fountain
authors.forename: Sheree L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Boulet
authors.forename: Marshalyn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yeargin-Allsopp
authors.forename: Dmitry M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Kissin
authors.forename: Denise J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Jamieson
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rice
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bearman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D027724:Reproductive Techniques, Assisted / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*