One in 40 American children has autism, according to a survey of parents

(Reuters Health) – About one in 40 American children have been diagnosed with autism, and a national survey of parents suggests that these children have more difficulty accessing mental health services than youth with other emotional problems or behavioral.

For the study, researchers analyzed data from the parent survey of approximately 43,000 children aged 3 to 17 from the 2016 National Child Health Survey. Overall, 2 , 5% of parents reported that their child had been diagnosed with autism and was still suffering from it, which represents approximately 1.5 million children in the country.

The researchers reported in Pediatrics that parents of children with autism were 44% more likely to have a lot of trouble getting mental health treatment for their children than parents of children with other emotional, developmental and mental health disorders. behavior.

"Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) were also less likely to have a medical home, needed referrals, and coordination of care when needed compared to children with other emotional, behavioral and emotional disorders. of development, "said Michael Kogan, senior author of the study Resources Administration and Health Services in Rockville, Maryland.

"The results were even more convincing when comparing children with ASD to all other children," Kogan said by email.

Many US pediatricians routinely screen for autism in children aged 18 to 30 months.

The first symptoms of autism may vary, but may include repetitive behaviors such as the flapping of the hand or swaying of the body, extreme resistance to routine changes and sometimes aggression or l? self-harm. Behavioral, educational, speech and language therapy can help reduce the severity of autism symptoms in some children.

This study is based on one of several surveys used to estimate autism rates in the United States. Another recent study by JAMA used a variety of data and found that 2.8% of American children aged 3 to 17 had autism spectrum disorders.

On the basis of another set of data, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that about 1 in 59 children is autistic.

Taken together, some recent studies on autism suggest that rates of diagnosis could stabilize after a steady rise for years, researchers said.

As with other studies, the current analysis found that autism was more common among boys, who were about 3.5 times more likely to be diagnosed than girls.

Rates of diagnosis were also higher among low-income families compared to rich families and among premature infants compared to full-term infants.

In the current study, approximately 27% of children with autism used symptom medications and 64% had behavioral therapy over the last 12 years.

Although parents of autistic children reported having difficulty accessing treatment, children with this diagnosis were more likely than children with other emotional, behavioral or developmental disorders to consult a specialist, to have received mental health counseling or having a special education or early intervention plan.

One of the limitations of the study is that it is difficult to compare the results with other data to determine whether autism rates could change, he noted.

"I think the take-home message is not necessarily new, but that it's important: autism spectrum disorder is a common condition that deserves early screening and treatment," said Dr. Jeremy Veenstra-VanderWeele, a researcher in psychiatry at Columbia University in New York. City that did not participate in the study.

"Parents concerned about their child's development should discuss their concerns with their pediatrician and should not hesitate to embark on a specific assessment of autism spectrum disorder," Veenstra-VanderWeele said by e-mail .

Parents are often the first to detect the unusual development of children and worry about the potential of autism, said Geraldine Dawson, director of the Center for Autism at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. .

"If parents notice that their child is not looking in the eye, lacking gestures such as pointing or delaying developing language, they should talk to their pediatrician or other health care provider," Dawson said. , who did not participate in the study. by email.

SOURCE: bit.ly/2TNXFJx Pediatrics, online November 26, 2018.