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Are Prenatal Ultrasound Scans Associated with the Autism Phenotype? Follow-up of a Randomised Controlled Trial

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Abstract

An existing randomised controlled trial was used to investigate whether multiple ultrasound scans may be associated with the autism phenotype. From 2,834 single pregnancies, 1,415 were selected at random to receive ultrasound imaging and continuous wave Doppler flow studies at five points throughout pregnancy (Intensive) and 1,419 to receive a single imaging scan at 18 weeks (Regular), with further scans only as indicated on clinical grounds. There was no significant difference in the rate of Autism Spectrum Disorder between the Regular (9/1,125, 0.8 %) and Intensive (7/1,167, 0.6 %) groups, nor a difference between groups in the level of autistic-like traits in early adulthood. There is no clear link between the frequency and timing of prenatal ultrasound scans and the autism phenotype.

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Notes

  1. i.e., (A × B) × (C × D) = 0.30 participants.

    A is the number of live-born singleton offspring (n = 2,821); B is the percentage of the current sample who did not provide any diagnostic data at 10 years of age or older (0.171); C is the percentage of individuals with ASD in Australia who are diagnosed beyond 10 years of age (0.10); D = the prevalence of ASD in Australia (0.00625).

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) for their long term contribution to funding the study over the last 20 years. Core Management of the Raine study has been funded by the University of Western Australia (UWA), Curtin University, the UWA Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, the Raine Medical Research Foundation, the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, and the Women’s and Infants Research Foundation. Funding from Australian Rotary Health was used for the steroid analysis. AJOW (#1004065) is funded by a Career Development Fellowship from the NHMRC (#1004065). This study was partly funded by NHMRC Project Grant #1003424. These funders had no further role in study design, analysis, data interpretation or manuscript writing and submission. The authors are extremely grateful to all of the families who took part in this study and the whole Raine Study team, which includes data collectors, cohort managers, data managers, clerical staff, scientists and volunteers.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Psychology and Speech Pathology, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Australia

    Yonit K. Stoch & Cori J. Williams

  2. Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, Centre for Child Health Research, University of Western Australia, 100 Roberts Road, Subiaco, Perth, WA, 6008, Australia

    Joanna Granich, Anna M. Hunt & Andrew J. O. Whitehouse

  3. School of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia

    Lou I. Landau

  4. School of Women’s and Infants’ Health, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia

    John P. Newnham

Authors
  1. Yonit K. Stoch
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  2. Cori J. Williams
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  3. Joanna Granich
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  4. Anna M. Hunt
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  5. Lou I. Landau
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  6. John P. Newnham
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  7. Andrew J. O. Whitehouse
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Correspondence to Andrew J. O. Whitehouse.

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Stoch, Y.K., Williams, C.J., Granich, J. et al. Are Prenatal Ultrasound Scans Associated with the Autism Phenotype? Follow-up of a Randomised Controlled Trial. J Autism Dev Disord 42, 2693–2701 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-012-1526-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-012-1526-8

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