Table 1.
Key symptoms, physiological and brain abnormalities linking prematurity and autism
| Prematurity | Autism | |
|---|---|---|
| Symptoms | ||
| Gastrointestinal | High prevalence of NEC, IBD (28, 29) | High incidence of NEC, IBD (12′ 28, 31) constipation, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, vomiting |
| Cardiovascular | Cardiovascular symptoms (48) Heart failure (58) PDA (65) |
Cardiovascular symptoms (49) Abnormal cardiac activity (59, 60) |
| Behavioral/Cognitive | Cognitive and behavioral delays (73) Deficit in social behavior (6) |
Cognitive and behavioral delays (74) Deficit in social behavior (75) |
| Physiological/brain abnormalities | ||
| Gut | “Leaky gut” (38, 44, 45) | “Leaky gut” (19, 20, 32) |
| Microbiota | Decreased biodiversity and beneficial bacterial species (39) | Decreased biodiversity and beneficial bacterial species (20, 32) |
| Vagus nerve | Low VNA (48) | Low VNA (49) |
| Heart | Less complex pattern of HRV (61) | Less complex pattern of HRV (62) |
| Brain | Reduced volume of temporal, occipital, insular, limbic regions (78) Reduced thalamocortical connectivity (82) IVH (83, 84) PVL (87) Cerebellar injury (87) Damage to CB vermis (73) Reduction in Purkinje cell number (?) Decreased Purkinje cell activity (73) Disrupted connectivity in left hemisphere (96) |
Reduced volume of temporal, occipital, insular, limbic regions (79) Abnormal thalamocortical connectivity (81) IVH (85) Cerebellar abnormalities (5, 6); damage to vermis (143) Reduction in Purkinje cell number (93) Decreased Purkinje cell activity (94) Disrupted connectivity in left Hemisphere (98) |