Nutritional Status Assessment among Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder

The childhood Autism was a neurodevelopment disorders that symptoms are appear throughout the patient's life which is characterized by lack of social & communication interactions in addition to repetitive, restricted interests and behavior. Recent studies revealed that the commonness of Autism Spectrum Disorders is rising, which could be because of diagnostic classification of ASD been updated. An essential step in the autism treatment is earlier detection to convalesce the quality of life of subjects.

The aim is to conclude the nutritional status of ASD children in Al-Najaf province 2015

A descriptive cross-sectional study conducted to evaluate state of nutrition in children with autism. Convenient model of autistic children in (Al Imam Al Husain Institute of Autism) and autistic patients in psychiatric department in AL-Hakeem hospital from 30th of April 30th of August 2015. The data were collected by questionnaire developed and filled by investigator through direct interview with autistic patient parents that visit psychiatric department in Al-Hakeem hospital and from case study sheet that present in ALImam Al Husain Institute of Autism which include ID, gender, residency, age of child (or date of birth??), the age level of education of parents, their occupation, and by measuring weight and height of children and compare with wt./age, wt/ht, ht/age & BMI/age growth charts. Epi-info software and Excel sheet for entry and analysis of data.

The sample size was 98 child, 86 boys and 12 girls & males to females ratio was 8: 1, age groups were (28%) ≤ 5 yr, 72% more than 5 year in which (52%) of them were normal, (33.9%) were overweight and (14%) were underweight, (28%) of the ≤5yr. were (45%) of them were overweight (37%) of them had underweight, & (16%) were normal, no significant association between the nutritional state with gender, residency, father's oldness, mother's oldness, father's vocation, mother's vocation, father's scholastic achievement and but there were significant association between level of education of mother and age group. p value 0.03. and between age group of children and NS p value less than 0.0000.

Most cases below and equal 5 yrs. were overweight& obese 45% and large percent of above 5years 33% were overweight & obese, there is significant associations between nutritional status and level of education on of mothers for children >5 years and NS.