BABY AND CHILDHOOD ILLNESSES: AUTISM

Childhood autism was first recognized in 1943 by Dr. L. Kanner, and since then has become a fairly well recognised problem. Only in the past few years has an increasing amount of interest been taken in the problem which affects about 5 children in every 10 000 under the age of 15 years.

It is believed that many of these children have brain damage, and more than half are severely mentally retarded. Autistic children have difficulty in relating and communicating with others, and their imaginative capacity is severely retarded. As a result the child tends to perform the same activities over and over, and will often repeat the same set of words frequently. Some children show reasonable levels of intelligence, and originally Dr. Kanner claimed that many were potentially of superior intelligence. Many seemed to have parents following professional occupations, even though they were cold rigid personalities. But this has since been cast into doubt by subsequent research.

Treatment

‘There is no medical treatment, but appropriate management and education can diminish behaviour problems and help bring out any latent abilities,’ the British Medical Journal stated recently in a leading article. The child’s future is closely linked with his ability to develop language, social awareness and useful skills.

‘Most autistic children need care all their lives,’ the Journal says, ‘but a few become independent, though eccentric adults. Very few develop a high level of skill in some special field, such as music, mathematics or art.’

There are now national societies which take a special interest in autistic children, and parents often gain much assistance in this manner. The Autistic Children’s Association of New South Wales is located at 545 Pacific Highway, Artarmon, Sydney, 2064.

DIRT EATING (PICA)

Some children seem to enjoy eating abnormal material that is not food. The range can be remarkable. It may include dirt, clay, snails, peeling paint, starch, and even ice! Some infants love playing with their bowel actions and may even eat this! A weird list of items have been recorded in the books of medical history. A craving for certain foods is more common, and it may include almost anything, from vegetables, to biscuits, sweets or fruits, to an abnormal extent. A few years ago an individual had a compulsive desire to eat ice, and devoured 9000 g a day, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association. Others have been known to eat newspapers and the pages from glossy magazines. One individual sustained a bowel blockage from the amount of newsprint in her intestinal system. If your child shows a propensity for eating odd objects please seek medical help. The child may be referred for assessment by a child psychiatrist.

Treatment

The case will be fully investigated. However, a large number are found to have an iron-deficiency anaemia. The simple use of preparations containing iron may completely reverse the strange compulsion, and the patient readily gets back to normal eating habits again.

‘Pica is quickly cured by therapy with iron, but this valuable information has been generally ignored,’ JAMA magazine recently reported. Do not scold your child—rather seek medical attention. The cure may be far more simple than you ever imagined.

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