Global burden and inequality of autism spectrum disorders: Based on data from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease study

The global prevalence of autism spectrum disorder in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The objective of this review was to analyze quantitative data on autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and to increase the accuracy of estimates of the prevalence of ASD.

METHODS

This review, which was reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement, included studies conducted from January 2008 to June 2024 on children aged 3 to 18 years that used standardized measurement tools and reported cut-off scores for ASD. The prevalence of ASD was the primary outcome analyzed in this review. The PubMed, Clinical Key, Scopus, Embase, CINAHL, and Web of Science databases were reviewed for relevant studies. The review protocol was registered with PROSPERO and followed the Cochrane collaboration guidelines.

RESULTS

A total of 66 studies reported on the prevalence of ASD, screening 21,313,061 children worldwide. Among these, 25 studies were conducted in Europe, 22 in Asia, and 13 in America. Additionally, 3 studies each were reported from Africa and Australia. According to a meta-analysis, 0.77% of children globally are diagnosed with ASD, with boys comprising 1.14% of this group. Notably, Australia showed the highest prevalence rate, with an effect size of 2.18, highlighting it as a critical area for public health focus.

CONCLUSION

ASD represents a significant global health burden. Early detection, increased awareness among parents, and prompt intervention are crucial for mitigating developmental problems in children later in life. It is essential for health policymakers to acknowledge the prevalence and growing trends of ASD in order to implement effective interventions.

Prenatal Environmental Antibiotic Exposure and Autism Spectrum Disorder Symptoms in Children at 3 Years of Age: Findings from the Ma'anshan Birth Cohort Study

Antibiotic exposure during pregnancy may affect the neurodevelopment of children, but biomonitoring-based population studies on this class of new pollutants are lacking. We conducted a prospective birth cohort study of 2860 mother-child pairs, measured the urinary concentrations of 41 antibiotics and their two metabolites over three trimesters, and assessed children's autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms at 3 years of age. We examined the associations between prenatal antibiotic exposure and children's ASD symptoms. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression screened for Tetracycline and Ofloxacin as important predictors of ASD symptoms. Modified Poisson regression models revealed that maternal Tetracycline exposure throughout pregnancy increased the risk of ASD symptoms (RR: 1.66, 95% CI: 1.14, 2.40). Maternal Tetracycline exposure during the first (RR: 1.74, 95% CI: 1.13, 2.68) and third trimesters (RR: 1.86, 95% CI: 1.16, 3.00) increased the risk of ASD symptoms in boys, and Ofloxacin exposure during the first trimester (RR: 1.47, 95% CI: 1.07, 2.02) increased the risk of ASD symptoms in girls. No dose-dependent relationships between prenatal antibiotic exposure and ASD symptoms were validated by restricted cubic splines. Prenatal exposure to Tetracycline and Ofloxacin may increase the risk of ASD symptoms in children, and the first and third trimesters might be the key windows.

Assisted Robots in Therapies for Children with Autism in Early Childhood

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have deficits that affect their social relationships, communication, and flexibility in reasoning. There are different types of treatment (pharmacological, educational, psychological, and rehabilitative). Currently, one way to address this problem is by using robotic systems to address the abilities that are altered in these children. The aim of this review will be to analyse the effectiveness of the incorporation of the different robotic systems currently existing in the treatment of children up to 10 years of age diagnosed with autism. A systematic review has been carried out in the PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Dialnet databases, with the following descriptors: child, autism, and robot. The search yielded 578 papers, and nine were selected after the application of the PRISMA guideline. The quality of the studies was analysed with the PEDRo scale, and only those with a score between four and six were selected. From this study, the conclusion is that the use of robots, in general, improves children's behaviour in the short term, but longer-term experiences are necessary to achieve more conclusive results.