Extremely Preterm Babies
Another cause of ASD is being born preterm. There is a 26 weeks gestation period [6], and babies born before that time have a high risk of autism spectrum disorder. This means that, a baby who develops Autism spectrum disorder, may be because of being born preterm. The gestation period is a very important cycle for a baby before childbirth, therefore, a preterm baby would not have gone through the complete cycle and this is why they are at a higher risk of ASD.
As there is no known cure for ASD, there are also no preventive measures. Treatment options are available and early detection, diagnosis and treatment is the best way to guarantee skill, behavior and language development.
References:
[1] https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/data.html
[2] https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/psychology/fragile-x-syndrome
[3] https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/gene-mutations.html
[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4381277/
[5] https://www.nhs.uk/start4life/pregnancy/week-by-week/2nd-trimester/week-26/