What are the health conditions associated with autism?
Below are some other conditions known to be associated with ASD:
muscular dystrophy – a group of inherited genetic conditions that gradually cause the muscles to weaken
Down’s syndrome – a genetic condition that typically causes a learning disability and a range of physical features
cerebral palsy – conditions that affect the brain and nervous system, causing problems with movement and co-ordination
infantile spasms – a type of epilepsy that develops while a child is still very young (usually before they’re one year old)
neurofibromatosis– a number of genetic conditions that cause tumours to grow along the nerves (the main types are neurofibromatosis type 1 and neurofibromatosis type 2)
This week, a new study has been published in the Journal of Developmental Disorders that examines why children with neurodevelopmental disorders experience higher levels of sleep disturbance. Researchers at the Universities of Leicester and Birmingham studied children ages 2-15 years old with a variety of neurodevelopmental disorders including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), Smith-Magenis Syndrome, tuberous sclerosis complex, and Angelman Syndrome. These children were studied opposite a group of 47 of their neurotypical peers. Thirty of the children with neurodevelopmental disorders had been previously diagnosed with ASD.
Tuberous sclerosis causes non-cancerous (benign) tumours to develop in many areas of the body. The condition can lead to a range of different problems, depending on where the tumours grow.
The areas most commonly affected are the:
brain
skin
kidneys
heart
eyes
lungs
Problems caused by these tumours can develop at any age, but most often start early in childhood. The severity of these problems can vary significantly and some tumours cause no noticeable problems.
The main problems these tumours can cause are described below.
Problems affecting the brain
Tumours that develop in the brain can potentially cause a range of problems.
Epilepsy and spasms
Most people with tuberous sclerosis will have epilepsy and experience repeated seizures (fits).
Some young children experience a more serious condition, known as infantile spasms, where they have lots of seizures over a short space of time, and brain activity is abnormal all the time. These usually develop during the first year of life.
Infantile spasms tend to disappear as a child gets older, but by then they may have led to some degree of permanent brain damage, which can cause problems such as moderate to severe intellectual disability, epilepsy that doesn’t respond to medication, and autism.
It’s important for infantile spasms to be identified as early as possible, as early treatment markedly reduces the risk of brain damage.
Learning disabilities
Nearly half of all children with tuberous sclerosis will have a learning disability, which can range from mild to severe.
Possible problems include:
poor memory
poor attention span
difficulty making plans or organising activities
learning much more slowly than other people
in severe cases, being unable to communicate or look after themselves
sleep disorders – such as finding it difficult to get to sleep or frequently waking up during the night
Hydrocephalus
A small number of people with tuberous sclerosis develop large brain tumours that grow big enough to obstruct the flow of cerebrospinal fluid through the brain.
If the flow of cerebrospinal fluid is blocked, it can cause pressure to build in the brain. This is known as hydrocephalus. Symptoms can include:
Brain tumours can be detected through regular brain scans and treated before they go on to cause hydrocephalus.
If hydrocephalus does develop, emergency surgery is required to drain away excess fluid from the brain. If left untreated, it can cause brain damage or, in the most serious cases, death.
Skin problems
Most people with tuberous sclerosis will have abnormal growths or patches on their skin. They usually first develop during early childhood and can include:
patches of light-coloured skin
red acne-like spots and blemishes on the face
areas of thickened skin
growths of skin under or around the nails
Kidney problems
Most people with tuberous sclerosis will have multiple growths in their kidneys, including tumours and cysts (small fluid-filled sacs).
These don’t always cause problems, but can lead to:
internal bleeding – this can cause blood in the urine and/or sudden severe pain in the tummy
kidney failure (where your kidneys stop working properly), which can cause symptoms such as weight loss, swollen ankles, feet or hands, shortness of breath, an increased need to urinate, and itchy skin
About 4 in every 100 people with kidney growths caused by tuberous sclerosis go on to develop kidney cancer.
Heart tumours
Many children born with tuberous sclerosis will develop one or more tumours inside their heart.
These tumours are usually very small and don’t cause any symptoms. Most heart tumours will shrink as a child gets older.
However, in a small number of cases, the tumours can cause problems such as an irregular heart beat (arrhythmia) or heart failure.
Eye tumours
Most people with tuberous sclerosis will develop one or more tumours inside their eyes. These tumours grow on the surface of the retina, which is the thin layer of nerve cells that line the inside of the back of the eye.
However, these tumours rarely grow large enough to affect a person’s vision.
Lung tumours
At least one in every three women with tuberous sclerosis will develop tumours and cysts inside their lungs, usually between the ages of 20 and 40. It’s unclear why women are commonly affected and men rarely are.
In many cases, these cysts and tumours do not cause a problem.
However, some women experience breathing difficulties similar to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and occasionally the tumours can rupture, causing a serious problem where air leaks out of the lungs and into the surrounding area.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.