title: The frequency and risk factors of allergy and asthma in children with autism--case-control study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The evolution of autistic disorders in children depends on many factors, like concomitance of the other diseases, which can escalate the autistic symptoms. One of those groups are allergic diseases, which have one of the highest prevalence rates in children.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this analysis was to determine the frequency of asthma and allergy in children with autism in comparison to controls and the risk factors of allergic diseases and asthma in both groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  Study population included 96 cases diagnosed with childhood or atypical autism and 192 controls matched individually by year of birth, gender and physician's practice. The analysis was performed in each group separately giving possibility to compare the results between study groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The frequency of asthma and allergic diseases in both groups has not revealed any statistically significant differences. Children with autism have been affected by asthma in 5,2% and by allergy in 25,0%, controls in 4,7% and 21,9% respectively. All cases of asthma was diagnosed in boys, commonly allergy was also more frequent in boys than girls in both studied groups. However those differences was statistically insignificant. The father's allergy and asthma was revealed as a risk factor of allergy in children with autism. In controls additionally allergy or asthma diagnosed in mother or grandparent increased risk of allergy in children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Children with autism were affected by asthma and allergy with similar frequency like children without autistic disorders. Allergy in father was the risk factor of allergic diseases in children with autism.
authors.forename: Dorota
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mrozek-Budzyn
authors.forename: Renata
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Majewska
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kiełyka
authors.forename: Małgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Augustyniak
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015897:Comorbidity; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011044:Poland; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012737:Sex Factors