Audio for Rates of Autism Research (AUDIO) Washington University School of Medicine Your browser does not support the audio element. Caption Rates of autism are increasing and diagnosis is occuring earlier than in previous years, but how early can the signs of autism be detected? Babies who are born prematurely are at an increased risk for autism spectrum disorders. And looking for warning signs in premature babies, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine and St. Louis Children's Hospital have found that if there are any early signs in the neonatal period indicating a child born prematurely is at risk for an autism spectrum disorder, they aren’t the ones most people expected. Jim Dryden has more… Credit Washington University BioMed Radio Usage Restrictions None License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.