Immunization uptake in younger siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder.
Younger siblings of children with autism miss shots far more often, adding medical risk to an already high-risk group.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Abu Kuwaik et al. (2014) compared shots records of baby brothers and sisters.
One group had an older sibling with autism. The other group had no autism in the family.
They counted how many shots were late or refused.
What they found
Almost six in ten babies with an autistic older sibling were behind on shots.
Four were simply late. One family said no to all shots.
Fully-vaccinated babies were rare in these homes.
How this fits with other research
Dai et al. (2019) looked at the same group and found more asthma and eczema.
Together the papers show the whole health chart needs watching, not just shots.
Garrido et al. (2017) pooled many studies and found language and motor lags starting at 12 months.
That means the same babies who miss shots are also behind on first words and first steps.
The shot gap is one more red flag in a sibling group already known to need extra screens.
Why it matters
When you meet a new client who has an older brother or sister with autism, ask to see the shot card right away. If shots are late, schedule a make-up plan and flag the chart for developmental checks. One quick question can stop both measles outbreaks and missed therapy windows.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Parental concerns persist that immunization increases the risk of autism spectrum disorder, resulting in the potential for reduced uptake by parents of younger siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder ("younger sibs"). OBJECTIVE: To compare immunization uptake by parents for their younger child relative to their older child with autism spectrum disorder ("proband") and controls. DESIGN: Immunization status was obtained for 98 "younger sibs," 98 "probands," and 65 controls. RESULTS: A significant group difference emerged for overall immunization status (Fisher's exact test = 62.70, p < .001). One or more immunizations in 59/98 younger sibs were delayed (47/98; 48%) or declined (12/98; 12.2%); immunizations were delayed in 16/98 probands (16.3%) and declined in only one. All controls were fully immunized, with only 6 (9.2%) delayed. Within the "younger sibs" group, 25/98 received an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis; 7 of whom (28%) were fully immunized. The rates of autism spectrum disorder diagnosis did not differ between immunized and nonimmunized younger sib groups, although small sample size limits interpretability of this result. CONCLUSION: Parents who already have one child with autism spectrum disorder may delay or decline immunization for their younger children, potentially placing them at increased risk of preventable infectious diseases.
Autism : the international journal of research and practice, 2014 · doi:10.1177/1362361312459111