Health Status and Health Care Use Among Adolescents Identified With and Without Autism in Early Childhood — Four U.S. Sites, 2018–2020

Persons identified in early childhood as having autism spectrum disorder (autism) often have co-occurring health problems that extend into adolescence (1–3). Although only limited data exist on their health and use of health care services as they transition to adolescence, emerging data suggest that a minority of these persons receive recommended guidance* from their primary care providers (PCPs) starting at age 12 years to ensure a planned transition from pediatric to adult health care (4,5). To address this gap in data, researchers analyzed preliminary data from a follow-up survey of parents and guardians of adolescents aged 12–16 years who previously participated in the Study to Explore Early Development (https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/seed.html). The adolescents were originally studied at ages 2–5 years and identified at that age as having autism (autism group) or as general population controls (control group). Adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs) that accounted for differences in demographic characteristics were used to compare outcomes between groups. Adolescents in the autism group were more likely than were those in the control group to have physical difficulties (21.2% versus 1.6%;aPR = 11.6;95% confidence interval [CI] = 4.2–31.9), and to have additional mental health or other condition

Prepregnancy body mass index and dietary intake in the first trimester of pregnancy

Objectives: Adequate maternal nutrition is of paramount importance in pregnancy, particularly in the first trimester when fetal development is crucial. It has been reported that heavier women are most likely to fear weight gain associated with pregnancy. Few studies have, however, investigated associations between prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) and nutrient intakes in the first trimester of gestation using detailed, prospective methodologies. The aim of this study was to investigate possible associations between prepregnancy BMI and nutrient intakes in the first trimester of gestation. Design: Seventy-two Caucasian, primiparous nonsmokers of mean age 33.1 years (SD 4.6) were recruited from three London teaching hospitals and they completed a background information questionnaire and a 4- to 7-day weighed inventory food diary during the first trimester of pregnancy. Prepregnancy anthropometric data were extracted from General Practitioner records. Results: Prepregnancy BMI was inversely associated with dietary energy (P = 0.04), Southgate and Englyst fibre (P < 0.01), and iron and folate (P < 0.01). After excluding under-reporters [individual energy intake:basal metabolic rate (estimated) ratio < 1.2], prepregnancy BMI was inversely associated with folate intake (P =0.04). Dietary intakes of Englyst fibre (P = 0.03) were statistically significantly lower than average dietary recommendations in this group. Conclusions: This study identified that women with a high prepregnancy BMI are more likely to under-report nutrient intakes. The finding that folate intake was significantly lower in heavier women accurately reporting dietary intake is of particular concern