Head circumference and body growth in autism spectrum disorders

Research has shown that there is a relationship between increased head circumference and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This study examined this relationship during the first year of life in subjects with ASD. We compared 280 children with ASD and 609 controls. In the ASD-male group, increases were observed in head circumference from 3 to 12 months, in height from 3 to 9 months, and in body weight from 3 to 6 and 12 months. On the other hand, in the ASD-female group increases in head circumference, in body height, and in body weight were only observed at 3 months. After adjusting for height, weight, and age, only the head circumference in the male ASD group was significantly increased from 6 to 9 months after birth, reaching a peak at 6 months after birth. No difference was found in the female ASD group. Although body overgrowth in the ASD group also started early after birth, the increase in head circumference was more marked than that in body growth. The values of physical measurements in the first year may be useful, minimally invasive parameters for the early detection of autism in combination with observing the timing of certain behaviors such as smiling, eye contact, crawling, pointing, and joint attention. (C) 2010 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.