Curious; Asperger's/Hypotonia/Dyspraxia result of birthing complications??

Lisa - posted on 02/17/2012

My 16yr old was diagnosed with Asperger's, ADHD and an anxiety disorder. I found this page today while researching Dyspraxia, which I feel he also has (haven't done enough research on it yet though). He was born at 25wks gestation and weighed just 1lb, 12oz. I had a delightful, but short pregnancy with no stress. Obviously, his birth was very traumatic and we were all very stressed. Up until this point, I've often wondered if it was his experience in the NICU that caused some neurological difficulties. He required oxygen the first 4 months of his life. In the NICU, he had a tube down his throat that kept his cries from being audible, so no one responded to his cries. We weren't allowed to hold him for the first two weeks due to his nervous system being so underdeveloped. Touch was thought to cause over-stimulation, so bonding was an issue. Obviously, not every preemie or baby with a NICU experience ends up having ASD, but I personally wonder if the experience can trigger it. My other child had the cord wrapped around her neck when she was born and received oxygen via blow-by for a short time, but has no ASD tendencies. However, she is now battling Leukemia (not connected) and we've been asked by the medical personnel many, many times if there were any problems at birth (including during the initial misdiagnosis of Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis)??

Patricia - posted on 11/08/2011

I was induced with my 7year old daughter at 41+3 then was not allowed to push for 3 hours due to a cervical lip due to fear that I would tear my cervix. She has dyspraxia, ADHD and JIA. I know that the JIA is not from her birth but the Dyspraxia and ADHD I am not so sure. I had pretty much exactly the same thing happen during the birth of my 1 year old son with the exception that this time I opted to have an epidural, It would be interesting to see if he develops any problems (God I hope he doesn't), at the moment he is a perfect happy 1 year old.

Shelly - posted on 10/12/2010

I was a "perfect birth" and I have ASD and other issues.

Leisha - posted on 10/11/2010

Emily is 8 and has Autism abd Apraxia. She got stuck after 3 hours of pushing. They used the vacuum and she wouldn't come out. Ended up with an emergency c-section. She came out blue as a smurf, but breathing on her own. She had to be put on antibiotics for swallowing meconium in the birth canal too. I decided years ago that her problems were due to trauma at birth.

Shelley - posted on 10/08/2010

I also had an emergency C section as I had a breech baby but he turned just before the planned one.So I had natural labour for hours & hours many things went south at the end & he pooped ect he was in very poor condition at first & some of his avoilas collapsed & he was very over do plus he had alot of assemetrical issues with head shape ect, plus torrticollis & he has tibal torrison (trwisted leg) all caused by being in to tight a space My specialist is sending him for genetic testing infact I am filling the paperwork out today to send back. She told me to get over his birth ect as she feels autism is genetic & was not from his tramatic birth. But I find it hard to 100% beleive.

Angie - posted on 10/08/2010

My son is 14. He was a heavily suctioned birth. 9 lbs, 23 inches, 2 knots in the umbilicus and I went into fetal distress 5 times. I believe a lot of his issues were caused from his birth. He also have a damaged optic nerve from the suction. Low tone, dyspraxia and Autism....

Lanae - posted on 10/07/2010

I understand. Having a reason for Timothy's autism really has been a blessing. It ruled out anything that we could have done to prevent it.especially since he was adopted at birth & this happened in the womb.

Julie - posted on 10/07/2010

thanks Lanae... I hope my interest doesn't bother you. I plan to look that up and have a read when I can.
I don't know if my daughter's autism is caused by anything genetic, but I'd like to know for sure one day.

Lanae - posted on 10/07/2010

For clarification my son has 4 copies of the long arm of chromosome 15. The finding was 47,xy,+mar.ish idic (15) (q13) (p152++,snrpn++). If anyone is curious about idic15 the best & most acurate website is www.idic15.org. This is the organization for families of children of idic15 & it has great information for sceintific research, education, medical, & social issues. It is rare aprox. 1 in 15,000 to 20,000. When Timothy was first diagnosed & we went to a genetic counselor, they just printed material off of this website (which we had already found). It is ttue that in Timothy's case there is no cure, but with therapy he has come a long way. I know that some people w/ autism have been tested & have not had any chromosome abnormalities, but I am sure that if testing was done in all cases of autism they would find a lot more gentic links. Autism seems to have more than one cause.

Julie - posted on 10/07/2010

Sorry just had to make another comment. Just been looking up Isodicentric 15. I studied some genetics in my science degree and was curious. From what I can find out in only a few hours, it looks like Isodicentric 15 only ever involves a partial duplication. The 47th chromosome is only a piece of no. 15. It's not a full copy (ie not "trisomy 15", like downs syndrome which is a full copy and is trisomy 21). And in many cases the fragment mirrors itself, so while there is one extra (partial) chromosome, there is often two extra copies of the genes that been replicated. Full trisomies are very rare and the majority are in the sex chromosomes or are Downs syndrome (and occasionally trisomy 13 and 18). I doubt a person with full trisomy 15 would survive even to birth.

Severity of Isodicentric 15 is based on how big or small the fragment is, whether or not it's mirrored (doubling the extra genes) and whether all cells are effected, or just some (46XY/47XY+15).

Just for anyone who was as curious as me as to what Isodicentric 15 is.

Sadly, we're stuck with the chromosomes we are born with and if autism is proven to be purely caused by genetic duplications, we'll never find a "cure".

BUT autism can be treated and doing the best to help our kids is what matters.

Julie - posted on 10/07/2010

Hi, your son's birth sounds very much like my daughter's. I had many complications including a negligent mid wife, my daughter was breech and being push sideways and never dropped into the birth canal. First midwife missed it because she was too lazy to examine me because she didn't want to be late for handover and late home. Never considered that disappearing for ages for handover might be a problem either. Despite me telling her my daughter was breech, ready to come out and that something was very wrong, she mocked me saying something was wrong and (without examining me) wrote down in my chart that my daughter was head down and that I was nowhere near ready to give birth.

Her mistake was (other than deciding not to do an internal examination or a proper external one) was she thought because my daughter hadn't dropped into the birth canal, that I couldn't possibly be remotely dilated enough.

Next midwife comes on, finds out I'm fully dilated (probably had been for a while), my daughter was breech (and the obstetrician said going on other evidence, she had been breech for several weeks, meaning the midwife who I'd seen the day before was incompetent too, not being able to tell the difference between a bottom and a head), and that I was indeed right when I said something was very wrong. My daughter would never have come out the normal way, and instead was being pushed sideways and shredding me internally while she was at it.

Second midwife, instantly she checked me, freaked out, rushed me into have a c-section saying if i didn't sign the papers and go immediately, my daughter and I could die (would have had a c section not been an option). And the poor mother who had been being prepped in the theatre for her emergency c-section got booted til the back up team could arrive as I was considered to be more urgent.

My daughter has hypotonia and possible dyspraxia, and the hypersensitivity (not sure what modulation issues are?). But I don't know if I'd contribute it to the birth though because ASD like behaviour runs in both my family and my ex husband's family. No one diagnosed officially, but very much there.

Kelly - posted on 10/07/2010

I had no problems during pregnancy and delivery. My 11y.o. daughter has Aspergers, ADHD, and a learning disability. My husband and I have none of those problems. I do believe that somebody in our extended family has undiagnosed Aspergers.

Samantha - posted on 10/06/2010

my girl also had a test looking at her cromazons they thought she might have had Wellams sendrom but all her test came back fine the MRI they did came back fine but she 9 and is setting around a 5-6 year old is all of her devalaments we have dyslexsa running throw from my family but nothing elise but when her birth when wrong i knew thats what it was i am 100% serten that this was what cosed most of whats wrong i have had 2 others my midle girl born feet first no C Section and would never have one if they come feet first they come out fine and my last boy now 3 was normal birth i was however start to make kidney stones never once past them and have had more trable senice but that did not afict him in any way i how ever dont have any drugs during prg and during the laber untill babys are out do i think set back and enjoy all that they give lac of oxyagen at birth deffrentaly affects those babys i was a baby with out oxygen and have mild lerning problems my self hit my the spelling is so bad but thats live jim :)

Samantha - posted on 10/06/2010

wow so nice to see a mum with a Dyspraxia child i have one too she now 9 and has other things going on but the Dyspraxia is deffrental the main one. she fits the bill perficley in wanganui we have a group of mums that get to gether and talk about what works for them and we have alot of deffrent age groups there is a web sit for suport in new zealand so go and google it.

my lovly giirl was with out oxygen for over 2 min that we are a were of and know that it was longer but the midwife has miss lead our recored so can prove anything and she no longer working as a midwife. the staff i have found on the condition stats that its tregered from deffacaltys at birth, or jen's or a strock so one of this could have been the treger all so have found that most specal needs kids have alot of crossing over in to other condetions and may not full fully in but have some semtems we have some ADD some OCD and some Aurtesem. sorry about the spelling its hard for somone with a lerning deffacalte to always spell corectly and not all speld checks are helpful

Kimberly - posted on 10/06/2010

My sons therapist has a theory that there is some contribution during pregnancy/delivery due to the stress of the mother. This has not yet been a proven theory but I myself was stressed during MOST of my pregnancy with my son (in unhappy marriage) and I also had complications during delivery (son had to be under an oxygen tent for 24 hours) which was also an emergency c-sec. HOWEVER, I do have traits of Aspergers which runs through my family history, that have all culminated in my son...lol. So, family history has been proven genetic. I do hope this helps with any questions you have. And I agree with Shelly Smith... It does mean your kid will most likely be smarter then the rest (however, no always able to showcase it as easlily). And may definately not be as popular. Although my kiddo is pretty popular at this point (Elementary School). However, distance is beginning with his friends as they are getting more socially adept and he is still behind the curve. :)

Shelly - posted on 10/06/2010

Asperger's is genetic. Means your kid will be smarter than all the other kids, but not as popular, usually.

Dixie - posted on 10/06/2010

Wow! I had the same experience with delivery of my 10-year old son. I, too, had an emergency c-section because my son was breech (discovered after nearly 24 hours labor). My son has been diagnosed with Aspergers and ADHD. While he is not very coodinated (no sports for him), he has never been diagnosed with any muscle or motor skill problems. I've never read or heard that ASD has been linked to birthing complications, but it is something to wonder about.

Lorraine - posted on 10/06/2010

Interesting.... I have a 12 year old with Aspergers.. he had the cord around his neck at birth?? lack of oxygen?? He also suffered with croup as a littlie....!! was nebulized quite a bit! I wonder if there is any connection here?

Lanae - posted on 10/05/2010

It doesn't really sound like IDIC 15 unless it is only a partial duplication. Most of the kids w/IDIC are more severe. There are a few facial features common w/IDIC 15. They are wide bridge of the nose the inner eyelid covers the corner of the eye Kind of like Oriental eyes. flat wide nose & full lips. These features are not as noticable as the features of somone w/Downs Syndrome. I do think that if more children w/ Autism were to be tested for chromosome disorders they would find more of them linked to Autism.

Carrie - posted on 10/05/2010

My son is 12, and also has all that you listed, but was a normal delivery. The only thing that might be along the same lines is he had bronchittis when he was about 5 months old and was put on a breathing machine for a week.

Latisha - posted on 10/05/2010

My son now 12 was born 8 weeks prematurly.He was 2lbs. 4 oz. I wasn't able to produce enough fluid for him to grow. He spent 2 months in the nicu. He was on point with his development. His doctors just diagnosed him with aspergers. He only has a social problem and has a hard time expressing himself. I have never even heard of this disorder before. My son is tall and barely has any mucsle tone. Should I be asking his doctor about that disorder?

Lanae - posted on 10/05/2010

Have you had chromosome testing done? Our son has Autism which we discovered was caused by a rare chromosome disorder called Isodicentric 15. basicly he has an extra chromosome 15. Another symptom of this disorder is poor muscle tone, hypotonia & dyspraxia & ataxia. among other things. It might be worth checking into. I am sure that other chromosomes could cause these problems as well.

Lisa - posted on 10/05/2010

I too believe that there is a link between my sons Sensory Integration Disorder and ADD attributed to his birth!! I had kidney stones from 30weeks we went to theatre, was on morphine for 3 weeks before he was induced at 34 weeks, his actual birth was not so complicated but I have often thought that all the medication I was on before his birth, the fact he was 6 weeks premmy so all his immunisations were early has something to do with his condition, there is no proof and we cant turn back the clock, I have accepted that this may be the case, and feel blessed to be his mum, no point wondering the what ifs just beating ourselves up, we did what we thought was right at the time with the information that we had. My 3 other children were all normal pregnancies and births and none have any issues. It is definately worth asking the question and would be wonderful if they could do research to find out!! Good luck with your son, cherish the moments and embrace his differentness!!!

Heidi - posted on 10/05/2010

IDK either but similar to the fact so many people suspected vaccinations to contribute to autism, but my son was not vaccinated at all and diagnosed PDD-NOS, he was born at home, on time with no complications...I was borderline gestational diabetic but did not progress, he was born weighing 10# 5oz...I think statistically if EVERYONE answered in regards to whether they had complications or not, my personal opinion is that there would be more perfectly noprmal births of children who later were diagnosed. I would still be interested in seeing some actual studies though.

Cindi - posted on 10/05/2010

My 13 year old son has Aspergers and Bipolar Disorder. He was born 6 weeks early because the OB thought he was 10 lbs due to my gestational diabetes. My heart stopped twice and his stopped once during labor, and he was born 5 lbs 12 oz. It would be interesting to see if these problems contribute to autism or mental disorders.

Robin - posted on 10/05/2010

My 13 yr old son has PDD, anxiety disorder, and is high functioning Aspergers. He was delivered before his due date because he was footling breech, by c-section. Our 2nd child, normal VBAC delivery, normal development. Our 3rd child has dyspraxia, and visual perception disorder. I was induced into labor with her because they were afraid she was too big for a VBAC. (she was only 7lb 11oz) Our 4th and fifth children were normal delivery, normal development. My husband has always believed that our kids with "issues" have them because of their birth situations.

Monica - posted on 10/05/2010

I also had gestational diabetes and my son and older daughter are both diagnosed with mild autism, adhd, social issues, behavioral issues and all the other fun stuff that come along with it. My son was born blue had absolutely no sugar in his body once the umbilical cord was cut, he didn't cry, and his APGAR was low. My daughter had some sugar in her body, but was born with an infection that they couldn't pin point. They took her to another hospital while I had to wait to heal at the hospital I had her in(both children were born by c section). But the clincher here is...my third child...I had full blown type 2 diabetes by this point, I was closely monitored, and was on insulin (which I wasn't with the other 2). She was also a c section but 8 lbs 11 oz (as opposed to my son 10.9 and my other daughter 11.5!!!) She is 100% healthy, no signs of even ADHD (which my husband has). As a matter of fact, she has been in gifted and talented programs... So you tell me, do you think that my first 2 children's autism had something to do with complications of pregnancy? When I think about it, it makes me so angry, and I have been beating myself up ever since!

Julie - posted on 10/05/2010

HI my Son is 9 and has Asperger's, dyslexia and Irlen's syndrome. He was delivered 7 weeks early due to my pre-eclampsia. he was a good weight for his gestation 4lb 4oz and didn't have any further problems with his development (walked, talked at appropriate stages) even though we were told to expect delays in all areas. we only noticed problems when he started school mostly social interaction difficulties and obvioulsy learning difficulties due to his severe dyslexia.

Lexie - posted on 10/05/2010

A friend of mine had a little boy that had to be born via c-section because he was breech. They were unsure of why he was breech, but after delivery they realized he had severe problems (severe muscular problems that lead to his death months later). They said he was breech because of his muscular problems that started in utereo.

Lisa - posted on 10/05/2010

Our son, age 8, has Asperger's, Hypotonia and Dyspraxia, as well. He is also ADD. My pregnancy was free of any complication and the delivery couldn't have gone any smoother. There were no complications, it wasn't a long delivery, he was in the right position, etc. It was a perfect birth and he was very healthy. So, in our case, it would have nothing to do with his birth.

Tina - posted on 10/05/2010

IDK but my son had birthing problems as well, I was very stressed during pregnancy- our house burned down I lost my job etc...he was only 3 weeks early but his lungs were collapsed and he spent a month in nicu- he was teh biggest baby there! He was tube feed for 3 weeks and couldnt be held until then. He is diagnosed as PDD-NOS, ADHD and Anxiety disorder. Curious, they should do a study about this.

Brandy - posted on 10/04/2010

when I was pregnant with my 6 yr old son I had gestational diabetes and was put on bed rest for three months, I have two children and my son was by far the worst. My son has autism, ADD, and behavior issues. There is no way to know the cause of Autism but I would like to know if there is a link.
Brandy Swalger

Linda - posted on 10/03/2010

My son was not breathing when he was born. His cord wrapped around his neck as he entered the birth canal. The dr had to hit him on his side to get his lungs to clear so he can start breathing. He did not cry when he came out.

Megan - posted on 10/02/2010

I have seen nothing that confirms that its connected but I did have some complications with my son. I was morning sick most of my pregnancy and walked out of the hospital after his birth at the same weight I was when I walked into the dr office at7 weeks. the "baby weight" for me was literally the baby and the water around him. Also, my blood pressure was spiking fairly high. Not staying up for very long, but would spike up enough to make me dizzy, then come back down to normal after like 15 min. My dr ignored all this till it happened when I was having another test done because my son had not moved for about 9 hours. So I really wonder if either of those had any impact on my sons PPD-NOS diagnosis.