Having to measure up to their older sibling might not be the only drawback for children born second.
Children born less than a year after their sibling are at a higher risk of developing autism, according to a study published Monday in the latest issue of the Journal of Pediatrics.
The study looked at more than 662,000 second children born between 1992 and 2002 in California. It found that kids born less than 12 months after their older sibling had almost double the chance of receiving an autism diagnosis as those born more than two years later.
Second babies born between 12 and 24 months after their sibling had a 1.35-times greater chance of being diagnosed with autism.
Whether or not it is because of birth timing is still debatable, researchers said.
Having children less than two years apart could lower a woman’s level of important nutrients and vitamins that are likely to make children more susceptible to the disorder, the study’s authors pointed out. Also, parents might just be more in tune to their children's development with a sibling so close ahead, the study said, making it easier to diagnose the problem early.
Many of the children were also not a "planned birth," researchers pointed out, and some were born to older women, both factors that could increase a baby’s chances of being born with autism because of nutritional and environmental issues.
The study comes only a week after researchers further debunked a 1998 study that linked vaccines to autism. For more than a decade, that theory had parents shying away from what has often proved to be an important public health measure.
Almost 1 in 110 children in the U.S. has been diagnosed with some type of autism or Asperger’s syndrome, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Children born less than a year after their sibling are at a higher risk of developing autism, according to a study published Monday in the latest issue of the Journal of Pediatrics.
The study looked at more than 662,000 second children born between 1992 and 2002 in California. It found that kids born less than 12 months after their older sibling had almost double the chance of receiving an autism diagnosis as those born more than two years later.
Second babies born between 12 and 24 months after their sibling had a 1.35-times greater chance of being diagnosed with autism.
Whether or not it is because of birth timing is still debatable, researchers said.
Having children less than two years apart could lower a woman’s level of important nutrients and vitamins that are likely to make children more susceptible to the disorder, the study’s authors pointed out. Also, parents might just be more in tune to their children's development with a sibling so close ahead, the study said, making it easier to diagnose the problem early.
Many of the children were also not a "planned birth," researchers pointed out, and some were born to older women, both factors that could increase a baby’s chances of being born with autism because of nutritional and environmental issues.
The study comes only a week after researchers further debunked a 1998 study that linked vaccines to autism. For more than a decade, that theory had parents shying away from what has often proved to be an important public health measure.
Almost 1 in 110 children in the U.S. has been diagnosed with some type of autism or Asperger’s syndrome, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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