Risk factors and clinical characteristics of autism spectrum disorder with regression in China

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder with regression (ASD‐R) is characterized by the loss of previously acquired skills during the initial year of life. This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics, patterns of regression, and potential risk factors associated with ASD‐R in the Chinese Han population. A case–control study was conducted between September 2020 and March 2022. A total of 186 children were enrolled, including 58 children with ASD‐R, 70 with ASD without regression (ASD‐NR), and 58 typically developing children. Demographic information, clinical characteristics, and potential risk factors related to ASD‐R were assessed using a combination of questionnaires, interviews, and physician assessments. The results revealed that children with ASD‐R exhibited more severe impairments in social communication and stereotyped behaviors compared with those with ASD‐NR. Language regression, constituting 40% of cases within the ASD‐R group, was found to be the most common type of regression. Furthermore, our analysis revealed that fever (OR = 4.01, 95% CI: 1.26–12.76) and diarrhea (OR = 6.32, 95% CI: 1.38–29.03) were identified as significant risk factors for ASD‐R. These findings contribute to our understanding of the heterogeneity of ASD and highlight the importance of considering immune responses and gastrointestinal factors in the etiology of ASD‐R.

Autism spectrum disorder – what are the relations with inherited metabolic diseases?

“…12,13 Ostali čimbe nici rizika koji su danas dobro poznati, a utječu na promjenu epigenetskih obrazaca jesu prenatalna upo raba lijekova, posebno antidepresiva i antiepileptika, autoimune bolesti u trudnoći kao što su dijabetes i hi potireoza te infekcije u trudnoći. 14 Okolinski čimbeni ci imaju važnu, no nerijetko i krivo interpretiranu ulogu. Posebno roditelji tijekom procesa suočavanja s činjenicom da njihovo dijete ima PSA sami istražuju uzroke i nerijetko prihvaćaju i zagovaraju teorije koje nisu nužno potkrijepljene rezultatima znanstvenih istraživanja.…”