The socio-demographic profile, antenatal risk factors in mothers and feeding pattern in children diagnosed with autism.

BACKGROUND: Autism is a developmental disorder whose behavioral characteristics range on a continuum from mild to severe. It is characterized by an impairment in the development of reciprocal social and communication skills, abnormal language development, and a restricted repertoire of behaviors and interests. Autism is typically not diagnosed prior to age 2 or 3 years and the prognosis is often poor. Because autism seriously affects multiple domains, it is a challenging disorder to understand and treat. The key to advanced treatment and technology is early detection of autism. Recognizing the early signs can be a challenge for parents and healthcare professionals (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Experts say there are red flags in a child's early development that may lead to identifying an autistic spectrum disorder as early as 12 to 18 months of age (American Psychiatric Association, 2000) AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To understand the socio-demographic background of the children being diagnosed with autism. To find out if there is any correlation between antenatal physical and mental stressors in mothers and their children developing autism. As there are many studies on diet influencing development of autism, to understand the feeding patterns of the autism children. METHOD: The required data of about 50 children attending Out-patient department of Child Psychiatry, Niloufer Hospital, Hyderabad was recorded and the data was analysed by a professional statistician. RESULTS: The socio-demographic trends were similar to those of previous studies. Around 90% of mothers had at least one complication during the pregnancy with Hypermesis being most significant. CONCLUSION: There is need to create awareness among parents, obstetricians, pediatricians about the risk factors and signs of autism so that the children can be diagnosed as early as possible and intervene for the best outcome.