UW News
Kate MacDuffie
May 7, 2020
Sleep difficulties in the first year of life linked to altered brain development in infants who later develop autism
![Baby sits on mom's lap](https://uw-s3-cdn.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2020/05/01160136/autism-sleep-study-infant-150x150.png)
New research led by the University of Washington finds that sleep problems in a baby’s first 12 months may not only precede an autism diagnosis, but also may be associated with altered growth trajectory in a key part of the brain, the hippocampus.