Boys more affected by autism than girls, says AIIMS expert

AIIMS experts say the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder is increasing in India with boys being more commonly affected by the disease than girls. Too much time spent on mobile phones and exposure to heavy metals also lead to autism. “There is a genuine rise in cases of autism. The prevalence is more in boys. In the US, there has been a 312 per cent rise in cases of autism in the last 25 years,” said Dr Sheffali Gulati, head, Paediatrics, AIIMS.

According to India Autism Centre, the estimated prevalence of autism in India is around one in 68 children. She said that AIIMS is also conducting a study on air pollution as one of the causes behind autism.

“Studies have found higher levels of metals like chromium, lead, mercury and manganese in the blood of children with autism. Among 500 children with autism spectrum disorder, we found heavy metal content like lead, arsenic, manganese and cadmium in large quantities,” she added.

Gulati drew attention to the consequences of spending excessive time on mobiles, leading to autism. “Screen time exposure is huge. If at the age of one, screen time is more, then there is a chance of developing autism by the age of three,” she added.

While the severity of autism can be reduced, it stays for life, Gulati said.

She said that a gluten-free diet had a positive impact on children with autism.

“Humanoid robots are being developed to assist with diagnosis and support for children with autism. This is applied for a patent. An app is also under development to help children communicate using pictures and symbols. AIIMS is also developing a new programme and intervention module to help manage sleep problems in children with autism,” Gulati said.

She said that attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common co-morbidity in Indian children with autism.

Advising parents for diagnosis, Gulati said, “If a child of six months is not responding to his name or at the age of one is not able to do “bye”, and at the age of two, is incapable of saying two meaningful words, then there is a chance of autism.”

Delhi