Less or poor quality of sleep in babies could be a risk factor of autism: Study

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Babies who sleep less or have a poor quality of sleep could be at a higher risk of developing and being diagnosed with autism, according to researchers who looked at over 1000 mother-infant pairs in Australia.

An increase in night-time sleep by an hour by six months of age was related with fewer autism characteristics at age two and four.

Findings, published in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood, suggest that sleep issues in infants could be a potential indicator of autism -- a neurodevelopmental disorder, in which one displays repetitive behaviour and has impaired social skills.

Researchers, including those at The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, surveyed parents about their baby's sleep patterns at age six and 12 months.

The parents then reported if they noticed autism-like characteristics when the child turned two and four years old.

Sleep disturbances, including insomnia, are known to be common among children with autism -- they have an overactive brain which can hamper development, potentially resulting in problems with social skills and emotion regulation.

The researchers also found that every increase of five minutes in sleep latency -- or trouble with falling asleep -- was related with more autism characteristics and a 7.7 per cent higher chance of being diagnosed with the condition.

"Poor infant sleep quality was linked to increased autism characteristics and diagnosis odds in a representative Australian sample," the authors wrote.

"At 12 months (of age), each 25 per cent increase in sleep latency (of about five minutes) was associated with more autism characteristics (1.5 per cent increase) and 7.7 per cent higher autism diagnosis odds," they wrote.

The participants were recruited during 2010-2013. Before the children turned age 12, 64 had been diagnosed with autism.

Among the diagnosed, 42 per cent were found to have used melatonin in the past month. The supplement is often prescribed as people with autism have problems with producing melatonin, essential for regulating sleep-wake cycles.

"Collectively, (the study) suggests that infant sleep characteristics have the potential to serve as one indicator for identifying infants who could benefit from autism monitoring, thereby facilitating early diagnosis. It may also inform future supportive evidence-based interventions for autistic children," the authors wrote.

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