Primitive Reflexes in Very Low Birth Weight Infants Later Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract Background: As early screening and diagnosis is very important in treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder, we investigated the relationship between primitive reflexes and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Methods: Of 88 very low birth weight infants born from April 2010 to March 2012, subjects comprised 38 examined for 18 primitive reflexes between age 38 and 45 wks corrected age and followed-up over 6 yrs. ASD was diagnosed using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders fifth edition (DSM-5) and Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule Second Edition (ADOS-2). We compared the number of abnormal primitive reflexes between two groups (11 children with and 19 without ASD) after excluding eight children with cerebral palsy in this case-control study. Results: The number of abnormal primitive reflexes differed significantly between groups, with hypoactive reflexes markedly higher in the ASD group (p=0.001). Conclusion: The result suggests primitive reflexes can be one of the key elements to identify ASD in low birth weight infants. Abnormal primitive reflexes of low birth weight infants with ASD in very early infancy may inform future research of the pathogenesis of ASD.