For all low-birthweight children, the risk for autism accompanied by other developmental problems was higher than the risk of developing autism alone.
This study is published in the June issue of Pediatrics.
Low-birthweight link to autism?
The study was done by researchers at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Doctors looked at 565 children with autism born in metropolitan Atlanta between 1986 and 1993. They compared them to children without autism. Overall, low-birthweight babies had twice the risk of developing autism, and the risk was higher for girls than for boys.
