Detailed contribution information
| Contribution title | 2273 - Autism spectrum disorder and season of birth |
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| Contribution code | PS01-68 (P) |
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| Form of presentation | Poster |
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| Abstract |
Objective: The detection of seasonal variations of birth in neurodevelopmental disorders may provide clues about etiological factors. This study attempted to investigate the Seasonal of Birth (SOB) rate pattern of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Method: SOB of 457 children born from 1994 to 2012, diagnosed as having ASD by means of DSM-IV criteria, and the clinical Judgment of a board certified child psychiatrist and a senior resident of child psychiatry, referred from 1999 to 2014 to three child psychiatry clinics affiliated with Iran University of Medical Sciences was compared to SOB of live-born children of the same period, gathered from Iran census data. Results: There was significant difference in SOB pattern between ASD group and general population with an excess of children with ASD born during summer (pv< 0.007). The least ASD birth rate was during autumn with a gradual increase from autumn to summer. Conclusion: The association between summer births and ASD suggests that conception during autumn may be associated with a higher risk for ASD. There may be possible causative seasonal environmental factors that have an influence on the etiology of ASD. Key words: Autism spectrum disorder, etiology, neurodevelopmental disorders, season |