Can a child born prematurely have autism - or can it simply be a development delay? Thanks?

Current statistics state 1 in 166 children fall in the Autism Spectrum, this includes but is not limited to children born prematurely.

In fact, premature infants have a higher percentage of all birth defects, neurological impairment, learning disabilities, genetic anomalies and developmental delays.

For a better understanding of Autism:
There are three distinctive behaviors that characterize autism. Autistic children have difficulties with social interaction, problems with verbal and nonverbal communication, and repetitive behaviors or narrow, obsessive interests. These behaviors can range in impact from mild to disabling.

The hallmark feature of autism is impaired social interaction. Parents are usually the first to notice symptoms of autism in their child. As early as infancy, a baby with autism may be unresponsive to people or focus intently on one item to the exclusion of others for long periods of time. A child with autism may appear to develop normally and then withdraw and become indifferent to social engagement.

Children with autism may fail to respond to their name and often avoid eye contact with other people. They have difficulty interpreting what others are thinking or feeling because they can鈥檛 understand social cues, such as tone of voice or facial expressions, and don鈥檛 watch other people鈥檚 faces for clues about appropriate behavior. They lack empathy.

Many children with autism engage in repetitive movements such as rocking and twirling, or in self-abusive behavior such as biting or head-banging. They also tend to start speaking later than other children and may refer to themselves by name instead of 鈥淚鈥?or 鈥渕e.鈥? Children with autism don鈥檛 know how to play interactively with other children. Some speak in a sing-song voice about a narrow range of favorite topics, with little regard for the interests of the person to whom they are speaking.

Many children with autism have a reduced sensitivity to pain, but are abnormally sensitive to sound, touch, or other sensory stimulation. These unusual reactions may contribute to behavioral symptoms such as a resistance to being cuddled or hugged.

Children with autism appear to have a higher than normal risk for certain co-existing conditions, including fragile X syndrome (which causes mental retardation), tuberous sclerosis (in which tumors grow on the brain), epileptic seizures, Tourette syndrome, learning disabilities, and attention deficit disorder. For reasons that are still unclear, about 20 to 30 percent of children with autism develop epilepsy by the time they reach adulthood. While people with schizophrenia may show some autistic-like behavior, their symptoms usually do not appear until the late teens or early adulthood. Most people with schizophrenia also have hallucinations and delusions, which are not found in autism.

No one knows what causes autism, but it is not being born prematurely.

Autism seems to manifest itself later in life, much later than infancy. Most cases of autism are diagnosed between the ages of 4 and 8.

If you have any questions about your child's development you need to ask your doctor as soon as possible.

Most likely it is just a delay. Children born early cant be expected to develop the same way as a full term baby. Have them checked by the doctor.

A child born prematurely can certinly have autism because autism is a genetic disorder.
But a premature birth does not CAUSE autism.

A child born prematurely is just as likely as a child born after 9 months to get autism.

A child born prematurely could possibly have either autism or developmental delays. I'm not aware of any correlation between autism and premature birth. But developmental delays are common in premature infants. If you have worries about either it should definitely be something you discuss with your doctor. The earlier it can be diagnosed and treated, the better.

Any child can have autism, prematurity however is not generally associated more strongly with Autism. (Although there is confilicting evidence and some debate in Child Development circles). Preemies are more prone to a host of difficulties that can be similar to autism - such as sensory integration difficulties, coordination disorders, learning disabilites etc.
The child in question needs an assessment from a qualifed professional (or team) to rule it out. It is a tricky disorder to diagnose and needs a professional - not a check list.

I am the mother of a 32 weeker. I'm not sure if this increases the risk of autism. Does your baby respond to you and has it (I hate calling it IT) started talking then stopped? My daughter has some developmental delays due to prematurity. Make an appointment with your pediatrician. They can hook you up with Early Intervention. We called E.I. It is a government funded agency that works with special needs children and their families. They will send Physical therapists to assess the baby's development. They provide many related services and it is all FREE. The March of Dimes SHARE web site is a community of thousands of preemie parents. You can find so much information there and many people experiencing the same things. Good Luck and I hope to meet you there.