World Journal of
Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences

POSTNATAL RISK FACTORS IN PATIENTS WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM IN AL-NAJAF CITY

Ali A. Al-fahham*

ABSTRACT

Recently, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been considered as an increasing problem specially in Iraq. This study was designed to investigate the assessment of postnatal risk factors of ASD in Al-Najaf Province. The purpose of this study was to determine the main demographic and clinical postnatal risk factors of ASD among involved children and to find out the relatiohip between clinical risk factor and demographic factors. A cross-sectional descriptive approach was designed to meet the previously mentioned objectives of the current study. The period of the study is from Dec. 2018 to March. 2019. A Convenience sample of (40) children with autism spectrum was taken in this study. That the highest percentage of the women's subgroup are : women with ages between (6-8) years old which cotitute (47.5%), male patients (85%), those who live urban residents (87.5%), those who most of their fathers are employee (62.5%), those who most of their mothers are housewives (65%). The present study also revealed that the major clinical risk factors for autism are: patients with low birth weight (65%), jaundice (47.5%), respiratory infectio (20%), allergy (12.5%), chronic disease (27.5%), auditory disease (7.5%), blood disease (7.5%) and second hand smoking (2.5%). It was concluded that the most contributing risk factors in the occurrence of ASD are: low birth weight, jaundice, chronic diseases and respiratory infection.

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