Analyzing baby sounds to detect autism early?

A new technique that identifies early differences in vocal development between children with an autism spectrum disorder or language delay and those developing on a normal trajectory could give pediatricians and other caregivers a tool for earlier detection of autism, and as a result facilitate earlier intervention. To distinguish the vocal patterns of normal infant and child development from those of children with autism or a speech delay, a team of researchers led by D.K. Oller of the School of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Memphis recruited 232 children between the ages of 10 months and four years — including 77 who had been diagnosed with autism, 49 with identified language delay and 106 whose development was characterized as typical.Children were outfitted with small, portable recording devices fastened to their clothing and researchers collected more than 1,400 all-day recordings. After analyzing the recordings and excluding cries or other sounds, the researchers identified a total of 3.1 million individual utterances.

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A Little-Known Problem in Children With Autism: Wandering Away

Within a matter of seconds, your child slips from your watchful eye and wanders away. Soon, he or she is nowhere to be found.

For any parent, few things strike more fear than a missing child. But for parents of children with autism, the potential for wandering may be more dire: children with autism have a tendency to flee, and can sometimes put themselves in harm's way. Although it is a little-known problem, wandering is perhaps the leading cause of death among children with autism, reports CNN.

In a recent feature article, CNN's Elizabeth Landau told the story of Michael Browne, a 10-year-old boy with severe autism, who is frequently inclined to bolt. "We constantly have our eye on the door and on Michael, and it's a hard way to live," Michael's mother, Melanie Browne, of Katy, Texas, told Landau. "I think that's the hardest part of raising him, is just the wandering issue."

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Sad Mothers Give Birth to Smaller Babies, Study Finds

Women who suffer from depression or anxiety may be more likely to have underweight babies -- even when those babies are born at full term, after a normal-length pregnancy -- a new study shows. This study adds to a body of research that gives conflicting evidence about the role of mental health in pregnancy.

The study assessed 583 women in rural Bangladesh. (Similar studies have been carried out in the U.S. and elsewhere in the developed world. But since the contribution of social factors to depression and anxiety is unknown, it has been useful to analyze the relationship of depression and pregnancy health across many different social settings.) Of all the Bangladeshi women who participated in this study, 18% showed depressive symptoms, and 26% showed symptoms of general anxiety -- all as measured by a standardized international diagnostic test, given during the third trimester of pregnancy.

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