Infants' Inattentiveness Might Signal Later Autism

 Attention problems might be seen in 6-month-old infants who 

are later diagnosed with autism according to a new study .

Researchers found that the infants who paid less attention to 

people's overtures and activities than infants who did not 

develop autism.

This information could be used to identify infants at greatest 

risk of developing autism and provide them with early 

treatment, the researchers said.

This work is highly consequential for identifying new treatment 

targets and early intervention strategies.

The study included 67 infants at high risk for developing autism 

and 50 low-risk infants. Their eye movements were tracked 

while they watched a video of a woman doing everyday things, 

such as making a sandwich, looking at toys, or speaking.

Compared to the other infants, those who were later diagnosed 

with autism spent less time watching the social activities 

depicted in the video. When they did pay attention, these 

infants spent less time watching the woman's face.

Autism is a neuro-developmental disorder characterized by 

impaired communication and social interactions. The 

researchers said this is the first study to show that early signs 

of autism are present in the first year of life.

The researchers are now trying to determine the specific 

causes behind this lack of attention to social activities in infants 

later diagnosed with autism.