Are there anthropometric differences between autistic and healthy children?

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Neurodevelopmental Disorders
• Public Health

Background:

• Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition.
• Nutritional status and anthropometric development in children with ASD require further investigation.
• Understanding growth patterns is crucial for comprehensive care of children with ASD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the anthropometric development, specifically body mass index (BMI), between children with ASD and typically developing children.
• To identify potential differences in nutritional status and growth patterns between the two groups.
• To provide evidence for the need to monitor anthropometric development in children with ASD.

Main Methods:

• A case-control study was conducted in Valencia, Spain.
• Participants included 40 children with autism spectrum disorders (cases) and 113 typically developing children (controls), aged 6 to 9 years.
• Body mass index (BMI) was compared between the groups, with adjustments for sex and age.

Main Results:

• Children with ASD exhibited a significantly lower body mass index (BMI) distribution compared to controls (P = .024).
• The odds ratio for being underweight in children with ASD was 2.41 compared to controls.
• A higher percentage of children with ASD (20%) had a BMI below the fifth percentile, versus 8.85% of controls.

Conclusions:

• Children with autism spectrum disorder are at an increased risk of being underweight.
• The findings highlight the importance of monitoring the anthropometric development of children with ASD.
• Routine monitoring of BMI and growth patterns should be integrated into the care of children with ASD.