born early

[board]

hello i was just wondering how many children are born early who have autisic and is that something to do with it im new to all this still waiting to find out what is wrong with my 5 year old daughter thanks jill

[BusyLizzie100]

Hi, my son (dx ASD) was born three weeks early - not much, but he had huge feeding problems and ended up in hospital extremely dehydrated (consultant paed: 'the kind of dehydration found in the Third World, not in this country'), then got bronchiolitis. Also had a hole in his heart from birth, quite serious but fortunately it seems to be spontaneously closing without surgery.

 

We put his 'differences' down to his early bad start; with hindsight I think the feeding difficulties were because of the ASD, Sensory Integration Dysfunction, Dyspraxia etc.

 

What's your story?

Lizzie

[witsend]

Hi Jill - not sure wether you've posted before? Welcome. All I can say is that my first son (ASD) was born 10 days late and was induced and my second son (NT) was born at 29 weeks by caesarian section and very nearly didn't survive.

I don't honestly know if being born early is associated with autism, I'm sure someone on here will know more and be along soon. I know cerberal palsy is associated to premature birth (they thought my youngest had this but he doesn't!)

Don't think anyone really knows what 'causes' autism, I'm sure it's a genetic thing but that'a just my point of view.

Just hope (reading between the lines here) you're not blaming yourself for anything?

Take care - luv Witsend.

[jayjay]

hi Jill, my son (dx ASD) today so very new to this aswell was born 1 week early and swallowed his own waters not mine so emergency c section and his lungs had to be pumped out but whether there is a connection i dont know but hi anyway and welcome to the forum

jayne xx <'> <'>

[stressed out mum]

Hi

 

My son was born on the due date but he didn't breathe straight away. I wonder if this can be a factor too

[oracle]

All three of my sons were born 6 days late., which I think is quite amazing. With my third son I just knew that he would be six days late and he was. Two have ASD while the eldest does not. The two that do were both born by emergency C-Section.

 

Carole

Edited November 5, 2005 by carole

[dorsetmummy]

Sophie was born 19 days early, she was actually due on my 30th birthday but was three weeks early, and has been awkward ever since!!!

 

She was born by emergency c section because i had been in labour for 28 hours and wasnt progressing any futher, she had a very pointed head when she was born, and didnt feed properly for two days, and also had jaundice.

 

Dont know if any of this is significant.

 

Julie

[lil_me]

Both my boys 1 NT one ASD were born early by c-section, they were both due the same date 14th February.

 

I think there has been significant research into if birth affected ASD or not and came to conclusion was not related.

[smiley]

Hiya Jill and Welcome <'>

 

My son (6, Aspergers) was born at 30 weeks, emergency c-section. We were both very poorly.

 

I do wonder if that is what 'caused' the AS. But i'm really not sure.

 

What ever the reason - i have the most wonderful, gorgeous, sweetest child. Sometimes - even when we desperately want one, no 'reason' can be found. <'> <'> <'> Keep posting.

 

Mary xxx

[lisann]

Hi

Welcome to the new people.

Char was born a week early via elective section there does seam to be a link here me thinks quite a few AS ASD children where born via sections elective or emergency.

 

Lisa x

 

[LizK]

My son (ASD) was born 3 weeks early. We've always felt he was a bit undercooked and have wondered whether there is a link at all. I assumed I was one of those women who naturally just didn't carry babies to full term but my second (seemingly NT) son arrived one week overdue blowing that theory out of the water. Made me wonder more whether DS1s early arrival is related to his ASD either as a causative factor or as an effect of ASD

 

Liz x

[puffin]

My AS daughter was borm 2 weeks late and was a 'normal' delivery although it was a complicated delivery. Her NT sister was induced 2 weeks early.

[Zemanski]

Com, autistic and dyspraxic, induced on dates due to gestational diabetes (most are induced at 36 weeks but he wasn't too big so they let me go to dates) - took 4 days and still had to be pulled out so he actually ended up late

 

Dot, NT, dyslexic and dyspraxic,no diabetes but had 'irritable womb', kept bleeding and going into labour, lost twin at 4 months too, by 7 months they said she was big enough to be born so they wouldn't try to stop labour but we actually lasted till 3 weeks before dates

 

I've always wondered about the diabetes actually as it is very, very unusual to not have it in subsequent pregnancies if you've had it in one and I've come across this with 2 other ASD children. I didn't have it in either of the two after Com.

 

Zemanski

[kaycollins95]

My daughter aspergers was born 4 weeks early by elective section and was in ITU for 2 weeks and weighed 4 lb . I often wonder if it has anything to do with it.

[lisa]

My twins (one AS and one NT) were born 6 weeks early and spent 3 weeks in SCBU and my youngest, AS was born 4 weeks early, had initial feeding problems but was home after a couple of days. All natural deliveries, no problems, in fact my youngest was born in only one hour from start to finish!!!!!

 

Lisa

[kirstie]

Hi all,

Lewis was induced two weeks early, due to a previous stillbirth i had at 37 weeks. (Zemanski <'> to you!) It was the worst birth experience i've had in terms of pain. (Just given birth 10 weeks ago and although a very long labour it was a fab delivery!) I'm not sure what was used for the induction but i was contracting violently. After Lewis was born the midwife checked me over and said my womb had gone straight back down to pre-pregnancy size, something she had never seen before! And from the day he was born he was so unsettled and basically never slept. Following on from that were the endless upper respiratory infections, thrush, constipation and broncholitis

But i do look at his father and see how inflexible he is how aggressive and a bit obsessive..... maybe my little man was genetically pre-disposed to his AS.

[Jadensmum]

Hi,

 

J was born 1 day early. No problems during pregnancy - although he never seemed to move very much. Very quick birth (6 hours start to finish) He popped out (literally) with the cord around his neck - but this was sorted within a couple of seconds.

 

2 children in the family have been diagnosed with ASD since J.

 

 

Denisex

[mum22boys]

HI,

My son M who is five was born 9 days early by emergency c- section. we are currently waiting diagnosis.

My other son R is two he was born 11 days early by elective c-section. We have our concerns about him also. After r was born I was very ill and the c-section proved to be crucial. i don't think either of us would have made a 'normal'delivery.

[sharron]

hi.

 

my asd son was induced as l was 2 weeks overdue normal delivery and my nt daughter was induced 4 weeks early because of complications had a normal delivery as well.

[Lynden]

Logan was 2 weeks early but he was a planned elective section which all went relatively well for him. He did have the cord round his neck when they took him out but his apgars were normal fairly quickly.

 

My NT daughter was an emergency section (hence why I had a planned with Logan) and had a really traumatic time of it during my 30 hours labouring.

 

Lynne x

[Teaorcoffee]

i was born 9 days earlier, which is good, otherwise I would have been born on Christmas day

[sarahjane]

Hi

 

H (as) was born 2 weeks early but qite distressed during labour and had to be rescuitated at birth, C (NT) was born 6 weeks early but was fine at birth but we were in SCBU for 1 week. During both pregnancies I had a liver condition, but as it was worse with c I don't think this had anything to do with it.

[ediebee]

Both my children were born 1 week early with no problems at all during pregnancy or birth, so I tend to think the genetic thing is probably true. Thing is in the words of Nirvana they "come as they are" !!! One child is NT the other AS, but both bring us equal amounts of fun and worry, as do all children.

[board]

hello to you all thanks for takeing the time to write my dauther was born at 35 weeks i was booked in for a elective section i was serpost to have it at 37 weeks had scan they added 2 weeks insted of takeing off so had csection at 35 week she was born could not breath lungs not ready they had to take her to a nother hospital i didt see her for 3 days she was in scbu for 2weeks she has been in and out of hospital they have told me that she as ashma and on 3 pumps and they are looking in to autistic she is 6 on the 19 11 i have 4 boys 24 21 17 9 and then a long a waited girl lost 2 inbetween the 9-17 so i just thought girls were diffrent until she sarted full time school lots of prolems so i was just wondering if being bron early had any thing to do with it my family say it me spoiling her but i am her mother and i know my husband says there is nothing wrong so i hope if i am rigtht that the shock is not to much did you have the serport of your famiy i am so gland that i have found nice people on here to talk to by the way my husbad is a nice man just loves his children and cant face there being something wrong he has put up with a lot i am not well my self so sorry it so long got carred away lovely to have ment you all sorry about spelling all the best jill

[mel_jayne]

My son was 2 weeks late.I had a bad pregnancy,i suffer from separated pelvis,so spend about 7 months unable to move and no sleep cause of pain.About 7 months into pregnancy i was taken into hospital with exhaustion and put on morphen for the pain.I have always blamed myself for the way kyle is because of this .

[DaisyProudfoot]

Hi

 

My AS son is one of twins (the other a girl) born by C-section 4 minutes apart. He was second. They arrived at 41 weeks.

 

My other two NT sons were natural - one 10 days late, the other 3 days early.

 

I contribute the onset of Martin's AS to a fall when he was 3 years old (during the care of his childminder). He actually FELL OFF A LOG - HOW EASY WAS THAT? He broke his leg but the hospital missed the break on the first x-ray so he went 3 days in pain before I insisted they check again. Then he was in plaster from the top of his thigh down for about 8 weeks!

 

His whole personality changed after that - noticeably - from a happy, outgoing little boy to an insecure child who became emotional very quickly. I think some how the accident triggered the early onset of his AS - it was probably always due to appear but this probably hurried it along.

 

Daisy

[Suze]

My ASD son was a twin.The twin died in the womb and I had threatened misscarriage till 20 weeks.Then had scans weekly and foetal monitoring as he failed to grow.I gained no weight and they induced me a week early.He weighed 6lbs 12 oz.He had severe jaundice and failed to thrive re admited to hosp a week later having lost a 1lb in weight .It,s been a long haul, difficult to feed etc.I believe the pregnancy and a pre-disposition to caused ASD.My 2 subsequent kids are NT .

[~Jonathan~]

I was born 5 weeks premature. Should have arrived on January 17th but instead arrived by Caesarian-section on 12th December.

[asdmum]

My older child who is very mildly dyslexic but otherwise fine, was born 6 weeks early and ventilated for 5 days, feeding problems, very severe jaundice etc. My younger child, severely autistic, was 3 weeks early but no ill effects except neonatal jaundice

[Tensing]

Henry was born very early 23 weeks, he was a normal birth, and spent 10 and half weeks in hospital.

 

My older three were all c sections 1 emergency (natural labour 42 weeks) and 2 electives (38 and 39 weeks).

[ange]

Hi all,

Lewis was induced two weeks early, due to a previous stillbirth i had at 37 weeks.

Hi Kirstie

I too had a stillbirth <'> at 42 1/2 weeks

 

My first who has autism was born at 42 weeks, then i had tobias who died, then all my other 3 children were born at 38 weeks, and out of those 3 another has autism. So I'm not sure if DOB has anything to do with it.

[dobbie]

Our son was born at 25 weeks and was dx with DCD very recently, he's now 12.

Its very similar to ASD and we have been told that a lot of really early prems that manage to avoid brain damage, breathing problems or cystic fybrosis are likely to have some form of DCD (developemental co-ordination disorder).

the school have been told to treat him with stratergies similar to aspergers/ASD

Hope that helps.

Edited November 8, 2005 by dobbie

[niki]

my first was stillborn at 5 1/2 months so big hugs to all who have suffered any kind of pregnancy loss. tricky was born two weeks late and had a very traumatic birth after a 29 hour labour

[board]

just wanted to say thank you to all of you so sorry to hear your sad storys hope i didt make you feel upset by remebering the bad parts bye what you have written i dont think it matters when you are born early or late they can still have autistic spectrum disorders so may be it happens in the womb thanks all the best to you jill >: