Autism Spectrum Disorder Screening at 18–36 Months in Infants with Moderate and Severe Neonatal Encephalopathy: Is Routine Screening Required?

Background

Hypoxia, acidosis, and inflammation cause impairment of neuronal development due to lack of sufficient oxygen and nutrition, and there may be an increased risk of ASD in neonates with Neonatal Encephalopathy (NE). To evaluate the frequency of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in moderate and severe NE requiring therapeutic hypothermia at 18–36 months.

Methods

In this prospective study, infants with moderate and severe NE requiring hypothermia were included.

Results

Throughout the study period, 33 of 85 neonates with NE admitted to our unit were included in the study. M-CHAT results of six infants included in the study showed positive and results of twenty-seven patients were negative. Four of six infants with a positive screening test completed a psychiatric examination, and two infants did not complete the clinical examination. The results of the examination showed that one infant was diagnosed with ASD, one was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and two infants were diagnosed with no psychiatric disorder.

Conclusion

Our results showed that the risk of ASD increases in infants with moderate and severe NE, and this relationship should be considered in long-term clinical follow-ups.