Calls for Ukraine
Calls for Europe
Calls for USA
X
Calls for Ukraine
Calls for Europe
Calls for USA
Eng
Autism tops the list of global health problems in children and young people
Autism is among the top 10 most serious health problems in young people under the age of 20.
A new study published recently in The Lancet Psychiatry says that in 2021, about 62 million people had experienced an autism spectrum disorder.
“We estimate that one in 127 people worldwide has autism in 2021, placing autism spectrum disorder among the top 10 causes of non-fatal health burden in children and youth under the age of 20,” states the research team led by Damian Santomauro, an assistant professor at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington.
These numbers show how important it is to diagnose autism early so that a child can receive therapies that will help them throughout their lives.
“Not only should the needs of children and adolescents with autism be considered, but also those of adults, who are often underrepresented in research and health care programs for this indication,” the researchers wrote.
Researchers note that children with autism may find holidays like Christmas and New Year’s Eve particularly difficult. When it comes to holidays filled with the noise and colors of the season, the sounds, smells, guests in the house, changes in routines and surroundings can be overwhelming, stressful and frightening for a child with autism.
For the study, the researchers combined data from 105 studies on autism in 33 countries.
The researchers found that autism rates have increased significantly – from one in 127 people in 2021 to one in 271 people in 2019 – but noted that the increase is largely due to changes in the way autism is identified and assessed.
That rate is much higher than existing data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), currently one in every 36 children, the researchers noted.
“This higher prevalence rate was established by analyzing case histories from clinical and educational records to see if people met diagnostic criteria for probable autism spectrum disorder,” the article states. – Because people were not clinically screened for autism spectrum disorder (as is done in population diagnostic surveys), this method may overestimate the prevalence of these disorders.”
The prevalence of autism in men is twice as high as in women, the researchers add, at 1,065 cases per 100,000 men compared to 508 per 100,000 women. Those rates are lower than current CDC estimates, which show that autism is nearly 4 times more common in boys than in girls.
The study also found that the incidence of autism declines with age.
“Addressing the global burden of autism spectrum disorder requires prioritizing resources for early detection programs, including improved diagnostic tools, especially for adults and residents of low- and middle-income countries with limited access to care, caregiver support, and services that address the changing needs of individuals with autism across the lifespan,” the researchers conclude in a University of Washington press release.
Categories:
News
Topics:
Published:
Updated:
Medical author, Medical editor:
Medical expert:
All categories:
- Diseases (3)
- Interview (16)
- Medical articles (60)
- News (104)
- War (9)
Do you have any questions?
Get a free consultation from our experts
