Epidemiology and screening for autistic pathology in Nghe An province, Vietnam

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)in children is on the rise and is a concern for parents and the community. There has been no research on the epidemiology of autism in children in general and children under six years old in particular in Nghe An, Vietnam. We examined the prevalence of ASD among children under 6 years of age in this region. We retrospectively studied the medical records of perinatal centers and children's outpatient clinics and hospitals. A relationship was found between cases of autism and risk factors, including congenital asphyxia, sepsis during pregnancy, multiple pregnancies, late reproductive age of the mother, children’s watching television time, and parents’ spending less time with children.