9-5-12
Study: Head Lag in Infants Could Mean Autism
Findings from Kennedy Krieger study published in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy
BETHESDA, MD—Delays in an infant’s motor
control may be an early indicator for an autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Researchers at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore examined the
association between head lag—poor postural control during a pull-to-sit motion—
and autism risk in a sample of 20 high-risk infants (siblings of children with
autism) and 21 low-risk infants age 6 months, and a sample of 40 high-risk
infants followed prospectively from 6 to 36 months of age.
Results of the
study—titled “Head Lag in Infants at Risk for Autism: A Preliminary Study”—are
published in the September/October 2012 issue of the American Journal of Occupational Therapy.
“A variety of skills
contribute to a baby’s ability to have good head control,” said Joanne
Flanagan, ScD, OTR/L, study author and occupational therapist at Kennedy
Krieger. “Observing head control using a pull-to-sit task enables physicians
and developmental experts to assess babies’ motor abilities, how well babies
are making use of sensory input, how well babies are able to adapt and make
postural adjustments when their bodies are changing positions, and how babies
interact with another person.”
According to Rebecca
Landa, PhD, senior study author and director of the Center for Autism and
Related Disorders at Kennedy Krieger, although head lag is not specific to ASD,
it may be an early red flag that the nervous system is not developing appropriately
in infants at high risk for autism. “The findings of this study may result in
earlier screening and intervention aimed at minimizing disabilities in young
children at high risk for autism,” said Landa. “More research is needed with
comparison groups to determine the relationship between early motor and sensory
abnormalities and core features of autism.”
Before the study,
research already supported the idea that poor postural control in infants is a
predictor of developmental disruption in cerebral palsy and preterm
populations.
This research
indicates that head lag with other alterations in early development may be
associated with autism risk and may serve as an early indicator of
neurodevelopmental disruption. The results have clinical implications for
occupational therapists in early intervention practice.
According to the
study, “Occupational therapists, in conjunction with speech-language
therapists, physical therapists, and other professionals play an important role
in early identification and intervention to address sensorimotor and social
skills to improve participation of infants showing red flags. Additionally,
occupational therapists may play an important role in research on early
detection to identify infants exhibiting subtle early sensorimotor deficits
that may affect subsequent development of play and social occupations.”
In addition to Landa
and Flanagan at Kennedy Krieger, study authors were Anjana Bhat, PhD, assistant
professor of kinesiology at the Neag School of Education at the University of
Connecticut; and Margaret Bauman, MD, founding director of the Lurie Center for
Autism and associate professor of neurology at Harvard Medical
School/Massachusetts General Hospital.
For more information about this study or to interview
the study’s authors, contact AOTA Media Relations Manager Katie Riley at
301-652-6611, ext. 2963, or e-mail kriley@aota.org.
The American Journal of Occupational Therapy is
the official journal of the American Occupational Therapy Association, which
represents the professional interests and concerns of more than 140,000
occupational therapists, assistants, and students nationwide. It is a
peer-reviewed publication focusing on research examining the effectiveness and
efficiency of occupational therapy practice so that occupational therapy and
other health care professionals can make informed, evidence-based decisions in
their practice. AJOT publishes 6 times
each year in print and online and has an additional online supplement at the
end of each calendar year. Articles cover topics such as children and youth;
mental health; rehabilitation, disability, and participation; productive aging;
health and wellness; work and industry; education; and professional issues.
Recent special issues include sensory processing and sensory integration, older
drivers and community mobility, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, traumatic
brain injury, and stroke.
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