The study found a slight increase in the risk of autism before and after child time

a study of more than 3.5 million Nordic children suggests that the risk of
autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may increase slightly every week before or after 40 weeks of pregnancy. Martina Persson of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, and colleagues presented the findings in an
published
PLOS Medicine.The causes of ASD are complex and unresolved, but may involve genetic and environmental factors. Previous studies have shown that children born before or after the due date (40 weeks of pregnancy) may be at higher risk of developing ASD. However, most of these studies are limited in scope and do not take into account gender and birth weight.To better understand the potential link between fetal age and ASD risk, Persson and colleagues analyzed medical registration data for 3.5 million children born in Sweden, Finland or Norway between 1995 and 2015. In the queue, 4.7 per cent of the 1.44 per cent of children diagnosed with ASD were premature - before 37 weeks of pregnancy.The analysis, which covered 22 to 44 weeks of gestational age, showed a lower overall risk of ASD at all ages, especially for girls born after the full month (after 42 weeks of pregnancy). However, the relative risk of ASD increases for each pregnancy week below or above 40 weeks.Of the children born at full-time (weeks 37 to 42), 0.83% were diagnosed with ASD. The percentage of babies born between the 22nd and 31st weeks was 1.67, 1.08 per cent at 32 to 36 weeks and 1.74 in the 43 to 44 weeks. These risk differences were independent of gender and birth weight of the child.These findings provide new insights into the potential link between ASD risk and birth age - which may be modifiable. More research is needed to clarify these links and to investigate whether they can lead to risk reduction strategies by addressing premature birth. (cyy123.com)
original source: Small increase in risk of autism see for pre-and post-term births