Autisme et prématurité : état des lieux.

Research has shown a high rate of autism spectrum disorders among very low birth weight children over the past decade. This paper proposes a literature review on this topic. Two generations of research have followed one another. The first retrospective studies found a high rate of ASD among premature babies. The second generation of prospective studies underlined and relativized this risk. Prospective research using screening tools (M-CHAT) have found around 20 % ASD, whereas 2 studies assessing the actual diagnosis found 5 % and 8 % ASD, 10 to 12 times more than in the general population. A number of hypotheses have been put forward to explain these high rates of ASD: sensory impairment associated with prematurity, white matter abnormalities, and cerebellar impairment. The authors propose complex models that take into account neurological deficits and the effects of perinatal events on interactive dynamics between infants and their caregivers. These models aim to allow suitable prevention and care for premature children with autism, a heavy additional handicap.