Low Birth weight linked to autism.

Do you know how much you weighed when you were born?
Journal paediatrics have said that babies who are usually small when they are born are more likely to develop autism in later development.
Researchers followed up a study of about 1,105 babies who weighed less than 4 pounds and discovered that 5% fit in the criteria of ASD when reaching the age of 21. The results shown in this study seemed to be 'quite striking' and emphasised the importance of screening a baby, especially those born under weight or premature.
'Screening is often pushed aside' says Jennifer Pinto-Martin, Ph.D., the director of the Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, in Philadelphia.'Its important that we do a really good job in screening every single child.'
There have been several previous studies which have lead to believe that underweight babies are more prone to developing autism including this recent one however there is no clear reasoning directly contributing low weight to autism. 'because there is so many other factors involved' says Chaves-Gnecco,who was not actually involved in the study.
Low birth weight babies "often have multiple disabilities -- cognitive disabilities, hearing and vision disabilities, and motor disabilities -- and all of these can create a positive result on a developmental screen," Pinto-Martin says. "But that doesn't necessarily mean they would get a diagnosis of autism.

The raise of autism diagnosis's in under weight children is worrying and doctors cannot explain why this is happening. But it is said that it may be the consequence of keeping tiny babies alive which raises so many more issues.