This is the first sign of autism in infants. Scientists are sounding the alarm

Scientists analyzed data from more than a thousand pairs of mothers and their children. They found that children who slept less or had trouble sleeping were significantly more likely to show symptoms of autism spectrum disorder. Some of them were later formally diagnosed.

They studied infants' sleep

Autism, as defined by the Autism Research Institute, is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by difficulties in social communication and the occurrence of repetitive, restricted behaviors and interests.

In Australia, autism affects about 3.2 per cent of children – similar to the UK and US. In 2016, it was the leading cause of disability among Australian children under the age of five.

The study, published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood, monitored infants’ sleep at ages 6 and 12 months, and then used parental observations to track autistic traits at ages 2 and 4. The results were striking: every additional 60 minutes of sleep per night among 6-month-olds was associated with a 4.5 percent decrease in autistic traits at preschool age and a 22 percent reduction in the risk of later diagnosis.

In turn, one-year-old children who took longer to fall asleep had a significant increase in risk – each additional 5 minutes of delay in falling asleep was associated with a 1.5 percent increase in autistic features and a 7.7 percent increase in the risk of being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.

The authors emphasized that sleep problems may be one of the first warning signs, allowing earlier identification of children requiring support.

Autism diagnosed with delay

Although autism can be reliably diagnosed as early as two years old, many children in Australia are diagnosed much later – on average at 45 months. This delay may limit their chances of receiving effective help from early intervention programs.

Researchers suggest that implementing broad-based screening studies based on multiple developmental measures, including parent-reported sleep data – such as time to fall asleep and duration of night-time sleep – may be crucial.

Interestingly, 42 percent of children later diagnosed with autism had been exposed to melatonin in the month preceding the study – which may indicate that parents were trying to cope with sleep problems at an early stage.

Autism is a disorder with a diverse picture that requires individually tailored support. Researchers call for the intensification of diagnostic activities and early interventions, which - based on scientific evidence - can significantly improve the quality of life of children and their families.