SynthesisJournal of neurodevelopmental disorders2021
The prevalence and profile of autism in individuals born preterm: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Journal of neurodevelopmental disorders, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 45 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
45 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Regional Brain Volume Differences Were Associated With Behavioural Outcomes in Children Born Preterm: A Systematic Review.Acta paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992) · 2026Pooled it
- Prevalence of autism spectrum disorder diagnosis by birth weight, gestational age, and size for gestational age: a systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression.European child & adolescent psychiatry · 2024Pooled it
- Neurodevelopmental outcome at 5 to 6 years of age of an early intervention program in preterm infants.Scientific reports · 2025Trial
- Exploring the Early-Life Microbiomes of Preterm Infants and Their Childhood Health Outcomes (The BLOOM Study): Protocol for a Prospective, Observational Cohort Study.JMIR research protocols · 2026Article
- Mental health outcomes in young adolescents born preterm reveal the need for earlier screening.European psychiatry : the journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists · 2026Article
- Very Preterm Infant Retinal Microanatomy at 36 Weeks' Postmenstrual Age and 2-Year Neurodevelopment.JAMA ophthalmology · 2026Article
- Neonatal amygdala microstructure and structural connectivity are associated with autistic traits at 2 years of age.Developmental cognitive neuroscience · 2026Article
- From microbes to milestones: Gut bacterial abundances and functional pathways associate with neurodevelopment following preterm birth.Gut microbiology · 2026Article
- Food Selectivity as a Driver of Gastrointestinal Symptoms and Constipation in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disorders · 2026Article
- Autism Screening Using Parent's Observations of Social Interactions (POSI) in High-Risk Infants.Journal of autism and developmental disorders · 2026Article
- A risk prediction model for autism spectrum disorder integrating biopsychosocial factors: a systematic review and meta-analysis with multicenter validation.Translational pediatrics · 2025Article
- Early developmental trajectory phenotypes for risk stratification of autism spectrum disorder in very preterm infants: a machine learning approach.Molecular autism · 2025Article
- Parallel paths: A narrative review exploring autism and its co-occurring conditions.World journal of clinical pediatrics · 2025Review
- School readiness in children born preterm.Pediatric research · 2025Review
- Narrative review of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric complications associated with prematurity.BMC pediatrics · 2025Review
- Perceptual interpretation of biological motion relates to autistic traits in children born very preterm.Experimental brain research · 2025Review
- Development of Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia in Young Infants With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Preterm Birth, and Typical Development.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research · 2025Article
- Risk Factors for Autism Spectrum Disorder in Individuals Born Preterm: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Population-Based Studies.Biological psychiatry global open science · 2025Article
- The Association of Preterm Birth With Autism Spectrum Disorder.Biological psychiatry global open science · 2025Article
- Factors influencing participation in home, school, and community settings by 6- to 9-year-old children born preterm: a qualitative descriptive study.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionPreterm birth (<37 weeks) adversely affects development in behavioural, cognitive and mental health domains. Heightened rates of autism are identified in preterm populations, indicating that prematurity may confer an increased likelihood of adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. The present meta-analysis aims to synthesise existing literature and calculate pooled prevalence estimates for rates of autism characteristics in preterm populations.
methodsSearch terms were generated from inspection of relevant high-impact papers and a recent meta-analysis. Five databases were searched from database creation until December 2020 with PRISMA guidelines followed throughout.
results10,900 papers were retrieved, with 52 papers included in the final analyses, further classified by assessment method (screening tools N=30, diagnostic assessment N=29). Pooled prevalence estimates for autism in preterm samples was 20% when using screening tools and 6% when using diagnostic assessments. The odds of an autism diagnosis were 3.3 times higher in individuals born preterm than in the general population.
conclusionsThe pooled prevalence estimate of autism characteristics in individuals born preterm is considerably higher than in the general population. Findings highlight the clinical need to provide further monitoring and support for individuals born preterm.
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