title: A Prospective Ultrasound Study of Prenatal Growth in Infant Siblings of Children With Autism.
abstract: Numerous studies have observed that a proportion of infants later diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience accelerated head growth during the first years of life. An emerging methodology for examining the developmental trajectory prior to a diagnosis of ASD is to investigate siblings of affected individuals. The current study is the first prospective investigation of fetal growth in siblings of children with ASD. Two groups of pregnant women were recruited as part of the PRegnancy Investigation of Siblings and Mothers of children with autism cohort in Perth, Western Australia. The "high risk" group (n = 23) comprised pregnant women who have an existing child with a diagnosis of ASD and the "low risk" group (n = 36) comprised pregnant mothers who have an existing child who has developed typically. Prenatal ultrasounds were procured at multiple time-points throughout the second- and third-trimesters, enabling an examination of growth trajectories. Growth measurements were then compared for the high- and low-risk fetuses. Mixed linear regression models identified no significant differences between the high- and low-risk fetuses in the rate of prenatal head and body growth throughout the second- and third-trimester (all P-values >0.05). Similarly, there were no significant differences observed when comparing high and low risk groups on a ratio of head circumference relative to body size (β = -0.019, P = 0.75). Future studies may consider looking beyond the macro architecture of the prenatal brain and examine the growth of brain subregions that have been implicated in the presentation of ASD symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, PO Box 855, West Perth, Western Australia, 6872, Australia.|School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia.
authors.forename: Lisa M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Unwin
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia.
authors.forename: Murray T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Maybery
authors.affiliation: Western Ultrasound for Women, West Leederville, Western Australia, 6007, Australia.
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.affiliation: Western Ultrasound for Women, West Leederville, Western Australia, 6007, Australia.
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lilje
authors.affiliation: Western Ultrasound for Women, West Leederville, Western Australia, 6007, Australia.
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bellesini
authors.affiliation: Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, PO Box 855, West Perth, Western Australia, 6872, Australia.
authors.forename: Anna M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Hunt
authors.affiliation: Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, PO Box 855, West Perth, Western Australia, 6872, Australia.
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Granich
authors.affiliation: Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, PO Box 855, West Perth, Western Australia, 6872, Australia.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jacoby
authors.affiliation: Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre, La Trobe University, Melbourne Victoria, 3086, Australia.
authors.forename: Cheryl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dissanayake
authors.affiliation: School of Women's and Infants' Health, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia.
authors.forename: Craig E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Pennell
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Melbourne, Royal Women's Hospital, Cnr of Flemington Road and Grattan Street, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia.
authors.forename: Martha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hickey
authors.affiliation: Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, PO Box 855, West Perth, Western Australia, 6872, Australia.
authors.forename: Andrew J O
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Whitehouse
mesh_terms: D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D047109:Fetal Development / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D035781:Siblings; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014904:Western Australia
keywords: developmental psychology; infants; pediatrics; prenatal; ultrasound