ABSTRACT
Objectives:
Studies propose that interaction between environmental factors and candidate genes is the primary mechanism in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) pathophysiology. In this study, we aimed to compare the socio-demographic features, pre- and perinatal risk factors (RF), and postnatal features of autistic and healthy children.
Materials and Methods:
Total of 100 children who were previously diagnosed with ASD and 100 healthy children aged between 0 and 18 years were included in the study. The most relevant and frequently seen socio-demographic, prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal environmental RFs regarding ASD in the literature were evaluated for each group.
Results:
We found statistically significant differences in terms of gender, socio-economical state, stressful pregnancy, physical/psychiatric illness among parents, delayed crying and purple skin color during birth, physical trauma, and comorbid physical illnesses between the groups.
Conclusion:
Most of the results we found in our study are in line with previous literature; however, preventable environmental RFs, such as perinatal complications, seem to be losing their impact on autism development, and it may be due to the advancements in the medical field over recent past years.
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