New study finds no link between premature birth and autism diagnosis

BOSTON - A new study debunks the popular belief that preterm birth is linked to autism.

According to the March of Dimes, one in 10 babies in the U.S. is born prematurely. And the CDC says that one in 36 children in the U.S. is diagnosed with autism, also known as Autism Spectrum Disorder. Data has been conflicting on whether babies born prematurely are at higher risk of autism, but a new study says prematurity alone is not to blame.

Researchers in Israel looked at nearly 115,000 deliveries over 12 years and found that after adjusting for factors that could be associated with autism such as ethnicity, being small for gestational age, the age of the mother, and the infant's gender, there was no significant association between preterm delivery and autism. They say that multiple factors likely play a role in autism, and not simply preterm birth alone.

In:
• Health
• Autism

Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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