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One in eight children aged 2 to 9 living in India may have at least one neurodevelopmental disorder, such as hearing loss, autism, cerebral palsy, ADHD, and learning difficulties. according to prevalence estimates released Tuesday.
Many of these disorders, with little or no treatment, were caused by poor birth practices and infections in early childhood, said the researchers who reported the estimates.
The first community survey on neuro-developmental disorders According to the 2011 census, the prevalence of disabilities is only 1.1% among 0-4 year-olds and 1.5% among children of 0-4 years old. those from 5 to 9 years old. On the contrary, the community survey showed that, depending on the location, the figures can reach 19%.
"The prevalence of neurodevelopmental disorders in children under 10 is at least 12%. This is the first community-based study in India and probably one of the low- and middle-income countries, whose weight is enormous and generally reflects the situation in different parts of the country, "said Dr. Author NK Arora, executive director of INCLEN Trust International. and a former professor of the Institute of Medical Sciences of India said: DH .
More than 50 researchers from as many institutes participated in the survey with 3,964 children on five sites – Palwal (Haryana), Kangra (Himachal Pradesh), Dhenkbad (Odisha), Goa North and Hyderabad, and 475 of them presented one or more of these disorders.
The most common disorders were: hearing loss, speech and language disorders, autism. spectrum disorders, intellectual disability, visual impairment, epilepsy and cerebral palsy and other neuro-motor disorders.
In addition, learning disabilities and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder were also studied in the older age group.
about 5% in Dhenkbad at just under 19% in Palwal, with hearing loss and intellectual disability being the most common. In North Goa, learning disabilities are 7.6% in children 6-9 years old while maximum ADHD has been observed in Kangra.
About one-fifth of affected children had two or more disorders. Prevalence is more in the category of older people.
Risk factors include homebirth, perinatal asphyxia, low birth weight, neurological infections and stunting. "The data suggests that the burden can be significantly reduced by tackling risk factors that lend themselves to public health interventions," the scientists reported in the journal PLOS Medicine.
"These preventable conditions contribute to almost 50% of the causal factors," says Arora.
Hearing loss is particularly a problem in areas where ear infection (otitis media) is common and poorly managed. In areas where preventable causes have decreased, other factors are beginning to appear to be important, eg learning disorders. In addition, there are no major differences between rural and urban areas. Less recognized diseases such as autism are not just a clbad problem, but they have also been diagnosed in poor rural households. "The study has highlighted neurodevelopmental disorders in children as a major public health problem.Many important risk factors were modifiable and could be the focus of investment in the public health to improve maternal / neonatal care and child nutrition ", summarize the researchers
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