APLICAÇÃO DO INSTRUMENTO MODIFIED CHECKLIST FOR AUTISM IN TODDLERS (M-CHAT) PARA RASTREAMENTO DE TRANSTORNO DO ESPECTRO AUTISTA EM LACTENTES DE ALTO RISCO

Abstract

Objectives: Determine the frequency of positive screening for Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) in a population of infants who were born less than 32 weeks of gestational age and/ or with birth weight less than or equal to 1,500 grams (LMP group) compared to a population of fullterm infants (LT group) and identify the associated risk factors. Method: Crosssectional analytical observational study, involving 45 preterm infants and 26 term infants followed at an outpatient clinic of a tertiary hospital, for whom the M-CHAT was applied at ages 18 to 24 months and their exposure to perinatal risk factors was assessed. Results: Six (13,3%) infants in the LMP group and two (7,7%) in the LT group were screened positive. There was a high frequency of positive screening for females in both groups (12,5% and 16,7%, respectively); and 64,4% of the LMP group and 34,6% of the LT group failed at least one question. In the LT group, it was observed that the mean paternal age and birth weight were higher for infants with positive screening (p<0.01) and, in the LMP group, infants with positive screening were born at a lower gestational age (p<0,01) and had bronchopulmonary dysplasia (p=0,02). Conclusion: The prevalence of positive screening was high, especially among females, and very premature infants had more failures in the M-CHAT questions. The findings reinforce that screening for ASD should be routinely performed in all children.