The Center for Autism Research at the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia recently received a five-year, $2.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to continue its research into autism.

The hospital is seeking expectant parents and the parents of newborns from families with and without a history of autism to allow their children to be part of the study from age 3 months to 24 months. The hospital hopes to take images of the babies brains to detect when the changes that lead to autism begin to appear to find early signs of the disease, said Sarah Paterson, a research associate professor at CHOP.

Autism, a condition that causes several developmental problems, particularly with socialization and communication skills, is affecting more and more children, particularly boys. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it has increased 23 percent from 2006 to 2008 and now affects 1 in 88 American children. The rate in New Jersey is 1 in 49 children, mostly boys.

It is typically diagnosed around age 2 or 3, and a growing body of research shows that early intervention yields better outcomes for individuals with autism, according to information from the hospital.

In an earlier study, CHOP found that there are significant differences in brain development as early as 6 months of age, well before the appearance of behavioral or outward signs of autism.

This new study will examine babies at 3 months to see if the changes can be detected even then. The children will then be followed with scans three more times until age 24 months and will have follow-up testing until age 5.

Were interested in the very early brains of children at risk, Paterson said.

Unfortunately, recent studies have shown that 20 percent of children with autism will have a brother or sister with autism, she said.

Since this is the case, the study will evaluate infants from families with a history of the condition, as well as those from families without it, so second or later children are especially needed.

MRIs will be taken while the babies are in natural sleep, Paterson said. Parents will bring a baby to the hospital close to bedtime and get the child to sleep. Then, headphones and special padding will be placed around the childs ears so that he or she wont hear the noise of the MRI machine as it takes images of the brain.

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CHOP seeks infants for autism study