Pervasive developmental disorders often seen in poor boys

Pervasive developmental disorders such as autism were most prevalent among boys than girls who mostly belong to low-income families, a new report shows.

A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey published today in the medical journal Pediatrics revealed that there are now 10 million children with pervasive developmental disorders in the United States in 2006 to 2008. That is up from 8 million kids in 1997 to 1999.

One in six children in the country now suffers from some sort of developmental condition and this entails the need for more health interventions to help these kids, the authors said.

Autism is the most well-known among the group of pervasive developmental disorders, which also includes Asperger syndrome, Rett syndrome and childhood disintegrative disorder. Among the other conditions, autism posted the largest increase from 0.74 percent of children in 2006 to 2008 from 0.19 percent a decade earlier.

Kids with autism have difficulty communicating and relating to people. They engage in repetitive movements and are focused on toys or other inanimate objects. Children with the condition may demonstrate compulsions and failure to obey instructions. Symptoms of pervasive developmental disorders vary in number and severity among children.

Also, there was a 33 percent hike in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder during the same period, the report authors said.

The survey asked parents of 3 to 17-year-olds to confirm if their children were diagnosed with autism, ADHD, mental retardation, seizures, learning disorder or developmental delays. The study was conducted from 1997 to 2008 as part of the National Health Interview Surveys.

The study authors suggest that better awareness, screening, diagnosis, and acceptance are partly responsible for the rise in the reported prevalence of pervasive developmental disorders.