{"id":16898,"date":"2023-07-20T18:49:03","date_gmt":"2023-07-20T23:49:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/last-drum.flywheelsites.com\/?p=16898"},"modified":"2024-09-10T13:40:21","modified_gmt":"2024-09-10T18:40:21","slug":"sleep-problems-in-infancy-associated-with-asd-autism-traits-and-social-attention-alterations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/autism.org\/sleep-problems-in-infancy-associated-with-asd-autism-traits-and-social-attention-alterations\/","title":{"rendered":"Sleep problems in infancy associated with ASD, autism traits, and social attention alterations"},"content":{"rendered":"

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A new study from the United Kingdom indicates that sleep problems in infancy may help to predict later social skills deficits, autism traits, and autism diagnoses in children.<\/p>\n

Jannath Begum-Ali and colleagues studied 164 children with or without first-degree relatives with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and\/or attention-deficit\/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The researchers evaluated the children at 5, 10, and 14 months of age, analyzing day and night sleep issues, including day\/night sleep duration, number of naps in the day, frequency of night awakenings, and sleep onset problems.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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The researchers report, \u201cBy 14 months, infants with a first-degree relative with ASD (but not ADHD) showed lower [worse] night sleep scores than infants with no family history of ASD; lower night sleep scores in infancy were also associated with a later ASD diagnosis, decreased cognitive ability, increased ASD symptomatology at 3 years, and developing social attention (e.g., looking to faces).\u201d They detected no associations with day sleep.<\/p>\n

They conclude, \u201cSleep may be a viable target for early intervention in infants with a family history of ASD, particularly around the age of 14 months.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cInfant sleep predicts trajectories of social attention and later autism traits,\u201d Jannath Begum-Ali, Louisa K. Goss\u00e9, Luke Mason, Greg Pasco, Tony Charman, Mark H. Johnson, Emily J.H. Jones, and The STAARS Team, Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry<\/em>, March 2023 (free online). Address: Jannath Begum-Ali, Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, Henry Wellcome Building, Birkbeck University of London, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HX, UK, jannath.begum.ali@bbk.ac.uk<\/p>\n

This article originally appeared in Autism Research Review International, <\/em><\/a>Vol. 37, No. 2, 2023<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

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ARI\u2019s free sleep disturbance questionnaire helps identify potential care strategies for sleep issues commonly associated with autism.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>

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