No relationship between prenatal or early postnatal androgen exposure and autistic traits: evidence using anogenital distance and penile length measurements at birth and 3 months of age.

Item request has been placed! ×
Item request cannot be made. ×
loading   Processing Request
  • Additional Information
    • Subject Terms:
    • Abstract:
      Background: Autism is more prevalent in males than in females. Hypotheses related to the extreme male brain theory of autism suggest that heightened androgen exposure during early development contributes to autistic traits. Whilst prior research focused mostly on the prenatal period, the current study tests the influences of androgen exposure during both the prenatal and the early postnatal periods on autistic traits during childhood. Methods: Anthropometric measures that are putative biomarkers of early androgen exposure were employed. Anogenital distance (AGD) was measured at birth and 3 months of age in boys and girls. Penile length at birth and 3 months of age was also measured in boys. When the children were 9–13 years old, a parent‐reported questionnaire (the 10‐item children's version of the Autism Spectrum Quotient; AQ‐10 Child) was used to assess autistic traits in 97 boys and 110 girls. Results: There were no significant associations between any of the AGD or penile length measures and scores on the AQ‐10 Child in boys, girls or the entire sample. Conclusions: The current study provides the first test of whether early measurements of AGD and/or penile length predict subsequent autistic traits. The current findings do not support a relationship between prenatal or early postnatal androgen exposure and autistic traits. The current study augments prior research showing no consistent relationship between early androgen exposure and autistic traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
    • Abstract:
      Copyright of Journal of Child Psychology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)