G6PD deficiency in autism: a case-series from Saudi Arabia

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by a pattern of social and communication deficits. Although it occurs in all cultures and countries, most of the published research has come from Western industrialized countries. In particular, relatively little is known about its clinical correlates and comorbidity in African and Middle Eastern countries. In this paper, we report two cases of G6PD deficiency with autism, recruited as part of a larger study on the occurrence of autism in Saudi Arabia. These findings suggest that a different set of medical conditions may be associated with autism in developing countries.