Developmental Trajectories of Autistic Social Traits in Youth Born Extremely Preterm.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Autistic social traits (ASTs), evident in the general population, are associated with mental health challenges. ASTs have not been evaluated in youth born extremely preterm (EP), despite their increased prevalence of autism. The current research evaluates AST change from 10 to 17 years in a well-characterized sample of EP youth, including sex differences and associations with health and quality of life.

Method

Participants included 527 EP youth (n = 275 female, 67.8% White), assessed at 10 and 17 years, from the Extremely Low Gestational Age Newborn (ELGAN) Study. Adolescents were born at an average of 26 weeks gestation. ASTs were parent-reported via the Social Responsiveness Scale at 10 and 17 years. Adolescents self-reported quality of life, health, and psychopa

SUBMITTER: McFayden TC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12828659 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature