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Could a problem birth be the cause of Autism

Fran

Hi, I was just wondering if anyone else had a problem during childbirth that they think might be the cause of their childs Autism, my daughter was left for 5 hours pushing while my Grandson was stuck, my daughter was finally taken to theatre for a cecerian but first the Dr tried forceps where in the end they managed to bring my Grandson into the world, but the shock at the sight of my Grandsons head frightened my daughter so much she could not hold him, my daughter was also exhausted and and fell asleep after 29 hours of labour, my Grandson was given to me and I gave him his first feed, I asked the Dr what was wrong with my Grandsons head and I was told it was because he had been stuck for so long the top of his head to one side had was swollen so much that it was raised at least 2 inches above the rest of his head and was like a cone, they told me it would go down in a few hours, when it didnt go down I mentioned it to a nurse and she said no it would take about 3 days or so when after 3 weeks it still hadn't gone we took him to see the health visitor and she told us not to worry, I have never known a swelling to last over 3 YEARS, 3 years and it was still slightly visible when his hair was wet, luckily he had a mass of blonde curly hair which disguised it, my Grandson was such a good baby and hardly ever cried except for the sudden outbursts of screams that sounded as though he was in severe pain, he would be asleep and all of a sudden would wake hysterical and it would take a lot of cuddles and singing to him to calm him down this started within his first week of life the GP and health visitor both told us my Grandson was fine the sudden outbursts stopped at around 5 months of age and the only thing I can associate with these screams was his head there was no other explanation for it, apart from these every so often my Grandson was a little angel, until he was about 2 years of age and he started getting very violent to  my 2nd Grandson, his cousin, who was just 5 months younger than him, this was the start of what now has been diagnosed as Autism, it took another 3 years and many many appointments with his paediatrician to get a diagnosis, I would like to know if anyone else has been through a similar experience.

Parents

  • I have heard about the big brain theory, and this may well apply in some cases. The idea is that Autistic brains grow too fast during the first few years of life, with too many connections and not enough pruning back of neurons. But after this point brain growth can slow down and head size becomes more typical or even smaller than average as the child grows older. However, my head has always been very small, even as a young child, so there are always exceptions and I think the cause of autism is likely to vary in each case and across the spectrum. Genetics certainly play a big role, but perhaps more so in some cases than in others. The cause is still hotly debated, and it is unlikely that there is one cause for all cases. Autism does not run heavily in my family, although there is a case in the extended family, but autism is so common that most familes probably have a case somewhere down the line.

    My Grandmother was diagnosed with terminal *** cancer when my mother was 4 months pregnant. A few weeks after she found out this bad news, I stopped growing in the womb. She was advised to take bed rest and even to have an early birth, but she was determined to carry me to term. I did begin to grow again and she experienced no more problems, the birth being an easy one with no interventions. However, the extreme stress she experienced could have triggered my Aspergers.

     My younger brother was born after a stress free pregnancy. He has sub clinical Asperger traits, but is basically 'neurotypical'. He might carry the genes, but did not face an environmental trigger. This is perfectly feasible, although not scientifically proven by experts.

    I was born weighing only 5 pounds 4 ounces, although I was a very healthy baby and no problems were identified until my 18 month check, when my motor skills were flagged up as a cause for concern.

Reply

  • I have heard about the big brain theory, and this may well apply in some cases. The idea is that Autistic brains grow too fast during the first few years of life, with too many connections and not enough pruning back of neurons. But after this point brain growth can slow down and head size becomes more typical or even smaller than average as the child grows older. However, my head has always been very small, even as a young child, so there are always exceptions and I think the cause of autism is likely to vary in each case and across the spectrum. Genetics certainly play a big role, but perhaps more so in some cases than in others. The cause is still hotly debated, and it is unlikely that there is one cause for all cases. Autism does not run heavily in my family, although there is a case in the extended family, but autism is so common that most familes probably have a case somewhere down the line.

    My Grandmother was diagnosed with terminal *** cancer when my mother was 4 months pregnant. A few weeks after she found out this bad news, I stopped growing in the womb. She was advised to take bed rest and even to have an early birth, but she was determined to carry me to term. I did begin to grow again and she experienced no more problems, the birth being an easy one with no interventions. However, the extreme stress she experienced could have triggered my Aspergers.

     My younger brother was born after a stress free pregnancy. He has sub clinical Asperger traits, but is basically 'neurotypical'. He might carry the genes, but did not face an environmental trigger. This is perfectly feasible, although not scientifically proven by experts.

    I was born weighing only 5 pounds 4 ounces, although I was a very healthy baby and no problems were identified until my 18 month check, when my motor skills were flagged up as a cause for concern.

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