If you have autism / adhd etc were you premature

[CatMumSlave]

I was born 2 months early and I have several diagnosis. I'm wondering if there is a connection.

My understanding is that a difficult birth is common. I haven’t heard about premature birth being a thing before.

I was a week late. Eldest 9 days late and 3 younger 7 weeks early. All of us are Nd, as was my mum and most of my siblings 😊

No. 2 weeks late.

My DS has ASD and ADHD and was born at 38 weeks and 6 days. So well within normal expectations.

He had a traumatic birth and was delivered via forceps, so not sure if that played a part. DH's cousin's child has ASD and my brother is currently waiting on an ASD assessment, so there's a possible genetic link too.

There is known link between the two. It doesn’t mean that every child born prem will have autism or ADHD, or that every person who is ND will have been premature. I have twins and there is a higher rate of ASD amongst twins due to more liked being born premature/ low birth rate,

Dh - autism - born at 31 weeks (although this date is questionable as he weighed 5lb 10oz and was born 7 months after his parents got married!)
Me - dyspraxia - born at 42 weeks
Ds1 - autism - born at 41+4
Ds2 - autism - born at 40+6
Ds3 - autism and adhd - born at 40+2
Ds4 - dyspraxia - born at 35+3
Ds5 - autism - born at 36+6.

Yes

I have ADHD and was born at 27 weeks. So does my brother who was born at 26 weeks

My daughter was 16 days late!

All my kids and my husband and I were all overdue. (Me by nearly three weeks) all neurodiverse.

My daughter was born at 30 weeks and suffered a bleed to the brain as she was born. She also showed signs of drug withdrawal. (We adopted her as a baby). When she was 18 months old the paediatrician told us it was ‘highly likely’ she would have ADHD due to the circumstances of her birth. She is now 7 and has a diagnosis of ADHD (which is very noticeable), autism and SPD.

I was only 3 weeks early but have struggled severely with ADHD my whole life

None of the children in the last 2 generations of my family have been prem, most babies were on time or late but ADHD runs rampant through us. 3/4 of us and our kids have it.

I wonder if it is a dominant gene? I should add I understand nothing about genetics so this may be nonsense.... but like eye color I've heard brown is more dominant than blue. If a NT person and ND person have a baby maybe there is a higher probability of ND baby. And so on, so over a few generations it increases? Also I wonder if ND people are having more babies than before as they are more accepted in society not shut away as they once were and find it easier to meet a partner. Just speculating here really.

My daughter was premature but she had absent movement a failed induction at 39 weeks and a traumatic birth and I always wonder if it played a part

Wasn't I meant

There is a link between neurodivergence and prematurity but the genetic link is much stronger.

I wasn’t premature, one of my children wasn’t either, one was and one was IUGR but term. All have autism.

My DC both have ADHD. Both induced at 42 weeks

I was 5 weeks early, diagnosed as autistic. However my grandfather was clearly autistic and my mum is definitely ND.

That is my understanding, that prematurity can be an added stressor to brains which are already prone to ASD.

Personally, I have often wondered about induction too. Because if that's not added stress for both the mother and the baby, I don't know what is. I'll try and find any research about this.

@stickygotstuck

I didn't know much about induction but the contraction pain with dd1 was a lot worse than the with dd2

I've always wondered my induction took 4 days and ended in a failed induction they burst my waters at 1cm on the 4th day finally and I did go into labour but it never progressed past 5cm and after 12 hours she was finally born by emergency c-section because her heart was going crazy low then they lost it all together and mine was crazy high put a tracer thing on her head and eventually she was born at 39 weeks exactly

DD1 had IUGR and was born by C-section at 38 weeks. She has autism. There is also a genetic factor, with ASD on both sides of the family.

My dc was 26 weeks premature and doesn't have adhd or autism

My DD has ADHD but was born at 41 weeks. They definitely asked about that during the assessment process though.