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Rise in Children With Autism

Rise in Children with Autism

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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released updated statistics on the rate of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which has been on the rise. The data is based on reviews of developmental evaluations and records from medical and educational service providers.


One in 36 children was diagnosed with autism by age 8 in 2020, or about 2.8 percent of children, up from one in 44 children in 2018 and one in 150 children in 2000, when the CDC first began tracking ASD prevalence in this country. Autism was also 3.8 times as prevalent among boys as girls, and for the first time the prevalence was slightly lower among white children compared to other racial and ethnic groups, which is a reversal of racial and ethnic differences observed in the past. However, Black children with ASD remain more likely than white children with ASD to have a co-occurring intellectual disability.


The CDC partially attributes these patterns to improved screening, awareness and access to services. They highlight the importance of accessible and equitable ASD diagnostic treatment and services for children of different backgrounds and call for more research to comprehend the emergence of diagnostic differences across states.

In-Print National Content Global and Health Briefs Health Brief Autism September 2023
Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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