Surprising autism figures in America
Source: Agencies |
December 20, 2009, Sunday
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Print Edition
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AUTISM, a brain disorder that interferes with communication and social skills, affected an estimated one in 110 American eight year olds in 2006, according to a federal study released on Friday.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looked at the medical diagnoses of 307,790 children who were age eight in 2006. They found 2,757, or 0.9 percent, had been diagnosed with autism.
The CDC team found that autism cases were four to five times higher among boys than girls, with one in 70 boys and one in 315 girls identified.
The overall ratio is far higher than previous estimates that the incurable family of conditions affected one in 150 US children. Decades ago autism was thought to be rare.
The average increase since 2002 for boys was 60 percent while the average increase for girls was 48 percent, the study said.
The CDC also found autism was far more common among non-Hispanic white children, but found increases in autism among all racial groups included in the review.
Researchers reported a 55 percent increase in autism for white children, 41 for black children and 90 percent among Hispanic children. Estimates of increases for Asian/Pacific Islander children ranged from 1 percent to 16.2 percent, the CDC said.
The CDC's Catherine Rice, who led the study, said there was no single factor behind the rising numbers of the brain disease. "Some of the increases are due to better detection, particularly among children who may not have come to attention in the past -- including girls, Hispanic children and children without cognitive impairment."
But she said something may be happening to make autism more common as well.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looked at the medical diagnoses of 307,790 children who were age eight in 2006. They found 2,757, or 0.9 percent, had been diagnosed with autism.
The CDC team found that autism cases were four to five times higher among boys than girls, with one in 70 boys and one in 315 girls identified.
The overall ratio is far higher than previous estimates that the incurable family of conditions affected one in 150 US children. Decades ago autism was thought to be rare.
The average increase since 2002 for boys was 60 percent while the average increase for girls was 48 percent, the study said.
The CDC also found autism was far more common among non-Hispanic white children, but found increases in autism among all racial groups included in the review.
Researchers reported a 55 percent increase in autism for white children, 41 for black children and 90 percent among Hispanic children. Estimates of increases for Asian/Pacific Islander children ranged from 1 percent to 16.2 percent, the CDC said.
The CDC's Catherine Rice, who led the study, said there was no single factor behind the rising numbers of the brain disease. "Some of the increases are due to better detection, particularly among children who may not have come to attention in the past -- including girls, Hispanic children and children without cognitive impairment."
But she said something may be happening to make autism more common as well.
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