High levels of autistic traits or diagnosed autism by upper respiratory signs
| Outcome | Social communication | Speech coherence | Sociability | Repetitive behaviour | Autism |
| aOR (95% CI) | aOR (95% CI) | aOR (95% CI) | aOR (95% CI) | aOR (95% CI) | |
| Mouth breathing | |||||
| 18 months | 1.12 (0.90 to 1.39) | 1.51 (1.21 to 1.81)*** | 1.34 (1.07 to 1.67)** | 1.36 (1.14 to 1.62)*** | 2.13 (1.32 to 3.44)** |
| 30 months | 1.41 (1.20 to 1.67)*** | 1.31 (1.10 to 1.55)** | 1.11 (0.93 to 1.33) | 1.24 (1.09 to 1.43)** | 1.62 (1.07 to 2.43)* |
| 42 months | 1.43 (1.22 to 1.67)*** | 1.32 (1.12 to 1.57)*** | 1.09 (0.92 to 1.30) | 1.31 (1.15 to 1.49)*** | 1.40 (0.93 to 2.11) |
| Snoring | |||||
| 18 months | 1.72 (1.23 to 2.41)** | 1.92 (1.35 to 2.72)*** | 1.12 (0.76 to 1.64) | 1.31 (0.97 to 1.77) | 1.38 (0.55 to 3.43) |
| 30 months | 1.54 (1.18 to 2.03)** | 1.32 (0.98 to 1.78) | 1.13 (0.83 to 1.53) | 1.21 (0.95 to 1.52) | 1.54 (0.77 to 3.11) |
| 42 months | 1.47 (1.15 to 1.88)** | 1.33 (1.02 to 1.73)* | 1.00 (0.75 to 1.33) | 1.20 (0.97 to 1.48) | 1.93 (1.09 to 3.41)* |
| Sleep apnoea | |||||
| 18 months | 1.54 (1.20 to 1.96)*** | 1.23 (0.93 to 1.62) | 0.89 (0.66 to 1.19) | 1.33 (1.08 to 1.63)** | 1.14 (0.57 to 2.28) |
| 30 months | 1.24 (1.02 to 1.50)* | 1.30 (1.06 to 1.59)* | 0.91 (0.73 to 1.13) | 1.17 (1.00 to 1.37)* | 0.93 (0.53 to 1.63) |
| 42 months | 1.28 (1.06 to 1.55)** | 1.33 (1.09 to 1.62)** | 0.99 (0.80 to 1.23) | 1.20 (1.03 to 1.41)* | 1.35 (0.84 to 2.17) |
| Pulls/pokes at ears | |||||
| 18 months | 1.42 (1.13 to 1.79)** | 1.11 (0.86 to 1.44) | 1.24 (0.96 to 1.59) | 1.42 (1.17 to 1.73)*** | 1.34 (0.75 to 2.41) |
| 30 months | 1.57 (1.20 to 2.07)*** | 1.52 (1.14 to 2.03)** | 1.48 (1.10 to 1.99)** | 1.78 (1.41 to 2.25)*** | 3.40 (2.06 to 5.64)*** |
| 42 months | 1.33 (0.93 to 1.90) | 1.92 (1.38 to 2.69)*** | 1.74 (1.24 to 2.46)*** | 1.52 (1.14 to 2.03)** | 3.77 (2.11 to 6.74)*** |
| Ears turn red | |||||
| 18 months | 1.19 (1.01 to 1.40)* | 1.09 (0.92 to 1.29) | 1.13 (0.95 to 1.34) | 1.46 (1.28 to 1.66)*** | 1.10 (0.72 to 1.69) |
| 30 months | 1.35 (1.13 to 1.61)*** | 1.17 (0.96 to 1.41) | 1.20 (0.99 to 1.45) | 1.54 (1.33 to 1.79)*** | 2.14 (1.44 to 3.17)*** |
| 42 months | 1.27 (1.05 to 1.53)* | 1.21 (0.99 to 1.47) | 1.05 (0.86 to 1.30) | 1.33 (1.14 to 1.56)*** | 1.52 (0.98 to 2.37) |
| Pus/mucus from ears | |||||
| 18 months | 0.98 (0.65 to 1.48) | 1.27 (0.86 to 1.90) | 1.26 (0.86 to 1.85) | 1.14 (0.83 to 1.57) | 1.87 (0.85 to 4.08) |
| 30 months | 1.12 (0.78 to 1.60) | 1.32 (0.92 to 1.89) | 1.19 (0.83 to 1.71) | 1.33 (1.00 to 1.75)* | 3.29 (1.85 to 5.86)*** |
| 42 months | 1.31 (1.01 to 1.72)* | 1.23 (0.93 to 1.64) | 1.22 (0.91 to 1.65) | 1.31 (1.05 to 1.64)* | 2.85 (1.72 to 4.72)*** |
| Hearing worse during a cold | |||||
| 18 months | 1.22 (0.88 to 1.71) | 1.53 (1.10 to 2.14)* | 1.22 (0.86 to 1.73) | 1.25 (0.95 to 1.64) | 0.82 (0.33 to 2.06) |
| 30 months | 1.33 (1.10 to 1.62)** | 1.35 (1.11 to 1.65)** | 1.22 (1.00 to 1.49) | 1.40 (1.20 to 1.64)*** | 2.18 (1.43 to 3.31)*** |
| 42 months | 1.47 (1.20 to 1.79)*** | 1.73 (1.41 to 2.12)*** | 1.10 (0.88 to 1.37) | 1.59 (1.35 to 1.88)*** | 3.28 (2.15 to 5.00)*** |
| Rarely listens to nearby sounds | |||||
| 18 months | 2.40 (1.61 to 3.58)*** | 1.58 (1.00 to 2.51) | 2.07 (1.40 to 3.06)*** | 1.89 (1.32 to 2.72)*** | 2.26 (0.97 to 5.27) |
| 30 months | 2.56 (1.76 to 3.73)*** | 2.69 (1.82 to 3.97)*** | 2.87 (2.01 to 4.10)*** | 2.57 (1.84 to 3.59)*** | 6.44 (3.68 to 11.28)*** |
| 42 months | 2.64 (1.96 to 3.57)*** | 2.76 (2.01 to 3.79)*** | 2.31 (1.70 to 3.15)*** | 2.11 (1.60 to 2.79)*** | 6.60 (4.04 to 10.77)*** |
OR (95% CI) adjusted for gestation, sex, parity, breast feeding, maternal depression, maternal education, prenatal smoking, locus of control, child exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and starting crèche (see main text for details).
*P<0.05; **p<0.01; ***p<0.001
aOR, adjusted OR;