美国自闭症患病率呈上升趋势

根据美国疾病预防控制中心(CDC)的报告，最近5年来，自闭症谱系障碍(ASD)在学龄儿童中的患病率已由约1.2%增至2%。

来自家长的报告显示，2007年，在6~17岁儿童和青少年中ASD诊断的发生率为1:86。而根据国家儿童健康调查的新数据，2011~2012年家长报告这一年龄组中ASD诊断的发生率为1:50。

但CDC的研究者认为，患病率增加的原因很可能是对ASD的认识和医生诊断水平的提高，而非“真正的”增高。“针对ASD的诊断发生变化的原因可能包括以下几个方面：家长或医疗保健专业人士对ASD的认识变化、接受诊断服务的机会增加、使用的筛选检查或诊断标准的变化以及社区中针对ASD教育安排的增加。”

另外，研究者发现，在所有年龄组的男孩中，ASD的患病率显著增加，具有统计学意义。在女孩中，ASD的患病率也有小幅增加，但无统计学意义。在2011~2012年期间，6~17岁男孩ASD的诊断率是同年龄段女孩的4倍以上。这项分析中还评估了ASD诊断的严重程度，结果显示，在2008年及之后诊断的儿童中严重类型的ASD所占比例较少。2008年及之后诊断的儿童中仅有约7%为严重ASD，而2007年或之前诊断的儿童中严重ASD的比例接近17%。

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By: MARY ELLEN SCHNEIDER, Clinical Neurology News Digital Network

The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder among school-age children rose from about 1.2% to 2% over the last 5 years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported.

Reports from parents revealed that among children aged 6-17 years, a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) occurred in about 1 in 86 children in 2007. By 2011-2012, parents reported ASD diagnoses for 1 in 50 children in that age group. The results are based on new data from the 2011-2012 National Survey of Children’s Health.
 
But the increase in prevalence is likely because of an increased awareness of ASD and better diagnosis by physicians, the CDC researchers wrote, rather than a "true" increase. The researchers reached that conclusion in part based on the number of new diagnoses occurring in older children.

"Changes in the ascertainment of ASD could occur because of changes in ASD awareness among parents or health care professionals, increased access to diagnostic services, changes in how screening tests or diagnostic criteria are used, or increased special education placements in the community," they wrote.

The researchers found statistically significant increases in the prevalence of ASD for all age groups and for boys. There was a small increase in ASD prevalence among girls, but it was not statistically significant. During 2011-2012, boys were more than four times as likely as girls aged 6-17 years to have a diagnosis of ASD.

The analysis also examined the severity of ASD diagnoses. Children who were diagnosed in 2008 or later were less likely to have a severe form of ASD. Only about 7% of the new diagnoses were for severe ASD, compared to nearly 17% for children diagnosed in 2007 or earlier.