Babies' hearts may reveal potential early clues about autism risks. A recent study found babies born to families with an autism history had lower heart rates, reports .
Past studies showed an infant's pulse slows when focused on sights and sounds. Now, researchers used functional near-infrared spectroscopy helmets to extrapolate brain and heart activity. The small trial found babies' of autistic siblings heart rates slowed less than control group in response to speech.
"Heart rate is a pretty robust measure, relative to other metrics that you might use," Brandon Keehn, assistant professor of speech, language, and hearing sciences at Purdue University, told Spectrum News.