Autism more common among low birth weight babies

 　　BEIJING, Oct. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- Autism can likely develop when low birth weight babies are combined with other factors such as environment and genetic¹ predisposition, new research suggests.

　　Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and School of Medicine identified 1,105 children who weighed less than 2,000 grams at birth between Oct. 1, 1984, and July 3, 1989.

　　Sixteen years later, researchers were able to reach 623 of those children, and used a questionnaire to screen them for autism spectrum² disorders⁴.

　　When 189 of the children turned 21 years old, 60 percent of those who screened positive for an autism spectrum disorder³, and 24 percent of those who screened negative with the condition.

　　All in all, the rate of autism spectrum disorders among the study participants with low birth weights was five times higher than the general.

　　Autism spectrum disorder makes people have difficulty communicating, difficulty interacting in social situations, and restrictive or repetitive interests, said study co-author Jennifer Pinto-Martin, a researcher in the University.

　　Those with mild autism spectrum disorders, "may only want to talk about one subject," Pinto-Martin said. "They're perfectly⁵ functional⁶. They can go to college. They can hold a job."

　　Premature⁷ babies are often born with low birth weights, though full-term babies can also have the condition.

　　The research suggests a need not only for better prenatal care to reduce the number of premature babies, but also a need for early diagnosis⁸ and intervention⁹ for people with autism.

1 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

2 spectrum   

n.谱，光谱，频谱；范围，幅度，系列

参考例句：

• This is a kind of atomic spectrum.这是一种原子光谱。
• We have known much of the constitution of the solar spectrum.关于太阳光谱的构成，我们已了解不少。

3 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。

4 disorders   

n.混乱( disorder的名词复数 )；凌乱；骚乱；（身心、机能）失调

参考例句：

• Reports of anorexia and other eating disorders are on the increase. 据报告，厌食症和其他饮食方面的功能紊乱发生率正在不断增长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The announcement led to violent civil disorders. 这项宣布引起剧烈的骚乱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

6 functional   

adj.为实用而设计的，具备功能的，起作用的

参考例句：

• The telephone was out of order,but is functional now.电话刚才坏了，但现在可以用了。
• The furniture is not fancy,just functional.这些家具不是摆着好看的，只是为了实用。

7 premature   

adj.比预期时间早的；不成熟的，仓促的

参考例句：

• It is yet premature to predict the possible outcome of the dialogue.预言这次对话可能有什么结果为时尚早。
• The premature baby is doing well.那个早产的婴儿很健康。

8 diagnosis   

n.诊断，诊断结果，调查分析，判断

参考例句：

• His symptoms gave no obvious pointer to a possible diagnosis.他的症状无法作出明确的诊断。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做一次彻底的调查分析。

9 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。