Children with autism and developmental delay have a 50% increased risk of being overweight or obese later in life - and here as young as 5 years old - finds this study from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. This risk appears to be even higher in children with severe ASD symptoms. Data presented in the Journal of Pediatrics that reveal an important new target for efforts to prevent overweight and obesity.
The Philadelphia researchers with their colleagues from the University of Pennsylvania and 6 other hospitals provide us here with an initial analysis of data from a large study, the Study to Explore Early Development (SEED), on the association ASD – obesity, a poorly documented subject. A particular threat to severely affected children with a high degree of disability.
The study is conducted among 2,500 children between the ages of 2 and 5, a particularly relevant age group, as it is both the window for (late) detection and early prevention of obesity. Of these children, 668 had ASD, 914 had developmental delays or developmental disorders, and 884 control children were developmentally free. Children's height and weight were measured during clinic visits and ASD severity assessed using the Ohio State University Scale. The analysis shows that:
- children with ASD are 1.57 times more likely to be overweight or obese than the general population;
- children with developmental delays are 1.38 times more likely to be overweight or obese;
- the risk of obesity was even more pronounced in children with severe ASD symptoms, as they are 1.7 times more likely to be overweight or obese than children with mild ASD symptoms.
These results show that it is essential to monitor these children from an early age and that prevention efforts must include not only children with ASD, but also those with other diagnoses of developmental disabilities, concludes Dr. Susan. E Levy, lead author of the study and medical director of the Center for Autism Research at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). These data join those of previous studies that reported an increase in obesity in children with ASD, but are the first to identify the same association in children with other intellectual disabilities. Further research will be needed to understand why these children are more likely to develop
Other medical conditions are particularly common in children with ASD , and the authors point out that they may also play a role in excessive weight gain. These possible factors include endocrine disorders, genetic disorders, gastrointestinal symptoms, side effects associated with medications, sleep disturbances or unsuitable food choices, among others.
Finally, it will be necessary to better understand the mechanisms underlying the increased risk of obesity in children with ASD, an indisputable target for early surveillance and prevention.
