The association between newborn screening analytes and childhood autism in a Texas Medicaid population, 2010–2012. Issue 5 (24th April 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Canfield, Mark A.; Langlois, Peter H.; Rutenberg, Gary W.; Mandell, Dorothy J.; Hua, Fei; Reilly, Brendan; Ruktanonchai, Duke J.; Jackson, Janice F.; Hunt, Patricia; Freedenberg, Debra; Lee, Rachel; Villanacci, John F.
• Is Part Of: American journal of medical genetics. Volume 180:Issue 5(2019)
• Page Start: 291
• Page End: 304
• Publication Date: 2019-04-24
• Subjects: autism -- autism spectrum disorder -- case control study -- epidemiology -- newborn screening; Neuropsychiatry -- Periodicals; Medical genetics -- Periodicals; 616.8904205
• DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32728
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1552-4841

Abstract

Abstract: Autism (or autism spectrum disorder [ASD]) is an often disabling childhood neurologic condition of mostly unknown cause. It is commonly diagnosed at 3 or 4 years of age. We explored whether there was an association of any analytes measured by newborn screening tests with a later diagnosis of ASD. A database was compiled of 3–5 year‐old patients with any ASD diagnosis in the Texas Medicaid system in 2010–2012. Two controls (without any ASD diagnosis) were matched to each case by infant sex and birth year/month. All study subjects were linked to their 2007–2009 birth and newborn screening laboratory records, including values for 36 analytes or analyte ratios. We examined the association of analytes/ratios with a later diagnosis of ASD. Among 3, 258 cases and 6, 838 controls, seven analytes (e.g., 17‐hydroxyprogesterone, acylcarnitines) were associated with a later ASD diagnosis. In this exploratory study, an ASD diagnosis was associated with 7 of 36 newborn screening analytes/ratios. These findings should be replicated in other population‐based datasets.