Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD 21211, USA.
Am J Occup Ther. 2012 Sep-Oct;66(5):577-85. doi: 10.5014/ajot.2012.004192.
OBJECTIVE.Poor postural control during pull-to-sit is a predictor of developmental disruption in cerebral palsy and preterm populations but has not been examined in infants at risk for autism. We examined the association between head lag during pull-to-sit at age 6 mo and autism risk status. METHOD.High-risk participants were siblings of children with autism. We studied one sample of 40 high-risk infants prospectively from 6-36 mo and obtained diagnostic classifications of autism or no autism. We conducted a subsequent between-group comparison with a new sample of 20 high-risk and 21 low-risk infants. RESULTS.Head lag was significantly associated with autism spectrum disorder at 36 mo (p = .020) and was more frequently observed in high-risk than in low-risk infants (p = .018). CONCLUSION.Head lag with other alterations in early development may be associated with autism risk and may serve as an early indicator of neurodevelopmental disruption. Results have clinical implications for occupational therapists in early intervention practice.
在拉坐过程中姿势控制较差是脑瘫和早产儿发育障碍的预测指标，但尚未在自闭症风险婴儿中进行检查。我们研究了 6 个月大时拉坐过程中头部滞后与自闭症风险状况之间的关系。方法：高危参与者是自闭症儿童的兄弟姐妹。我们前瞻性地研究了一个由 40 名高危婴儿组成的样本，从 6 个月到 36 个月，并获得了自闭症或非自闭症的诊断分类。我们随后对 20 名高危和 21 名低危婴儿进行了分组比较。结果：头部滞后与 36 个月时的自闭症谱系障碍显著相关（p =.020），在高危婴儿中比在低危婴儿中更常见（p =.018）。结论：头部滞后以及早期发育中的其他改变可能与自闭症风险有关，并可能成为神经发育障碍的早期指标。研究结果对早期干预实践中的职业治疗师具有临床意义。
