Autism Rates Linked to Allergic Conditions

A significant and positive association has linked common allergic conditions to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children.

According to a new study conducted by a research team at the University of Iowa College of Public Health, the odds ratio (OR) of ASD increased in children also diagnosed with food allergy, respiratory allergy, and skin allergy.

Led by Guifeng Xu, of the college’s Epidemiology department, researchers conducted a population-based, cross-sectional study of data provided by the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) from 1997-2016. The analysis featured 199,520 children aged from 3-17 years old (mean age 10.21 years).

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