Frequencies of Allergic Diseases Among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Abstract

Objective: Allergic diseases and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) affect millions of children worldwide and the frequencies of these diseases are increasing. Although some genetic and environmental factors have been implicated, the exact reasons of this increase have not been determined yet. In this study, we aimed to investigate the frequencies of allergic diseases among children with ASD. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire containing 23 questions related to asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis and food allergy adapted from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) was used and the questionnaires were filled out by the parents of children with ASD and controls. Results: The study and control groups comprised 59 and 50 children respectively. Allergic rhinitis was diagnosed in 12%, atopic dermatitis in 10.1%, food allergy in 8.4% and asthma in 6.8% of the children with ASD; and 16%, 6%, 8% and 10.0% respectively in the control group. Conclusion: These results suggest that frequency of allergic diseases among children with ASD are not different than controls.