Clinical and epidemiological aspects of autism spector disorder in children: a global overview

Abstract

Introduction: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder described by the Diagnosis and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) as a persistent deficit in communication and social interactions in different environments, involving limitations in social reciprocity, in the use of gestures and facial expressions during interactions, as well as in the ability to create, maintain and interpret interpersonal bonds. Additionally, behaviors characterized by repetitive and restricted patterns are observed, both in actions and in interests and in daily activities. The present study sought to evaluate the clinical aspects of this disorder in children, as well as its epidemiology in the global context. Methods: Narrative review of the literature in the Lilacs, PubMed, Virtual Health Library and Scielo databases, using the keywords Epidemiology, General Symptoms, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Childhood with the Boolean operator and. Twenty-two full articles published from 2000 to November 2024 were included. Twenty-six articles that were not aligned with the proposed theme were excluded after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results and Discussion: Studies indicate that the broad spectrum of ASD allows variation in the presence and intensity of some symptoms; however, clinically it presents as a deficit in social interaction and communication, associated with restrictive and repetitive behavior patterns. Regarding the epidemiological aspect, a higher prevalence was observed in males, advanced parental age, perinatal and neonatal complications, in addition to prenatal exposures such as maternal infections, obesity, gestational diabetes, use of antidepressants from the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) class, antibiotics, and exposure to toxins. Ethnic, socioeconomic, and regional factors remain controversial due to the lack of standardization of the analysis method. Conclusion: It is concluded that knowledge of the clinical and epidemiological aspects of ASD is essential to optimize the clinical management of this disorder.