"WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Autism, a brain disorder that interferes with communication and social skills, affected an estimated one in 110 American 8-year-olds in 2006, according to a federal study released Friday.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looked at the medical diagnoses of 307,790 children who were age 8 in 2006. They found 2,757, or 0.9 percent, had been diagnosed with autism.
The CDC team found that autism cases were four to five times higher among boys than girls, with 1 in 70 boys and 1 in 315 girls identified.
The overall ratio is far higher than previous estimates that the incurable family of conditions affected 1 in 150 U.S. children. A few decades ago autism was thought to be rare."
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looked at the medical diagnoses of 307,790 children who were age 8 in 2006. They found 2,757, or 0.9 percent, had been diagnosed with autism.
The CDC team found that autism cases were four to five times higher among boys than girls, with 1 in 70 boys and 1 in 315 girls identified.
The overall ratio is far higher than previous estimates that the incurable family of conditions affected 1 in 150 U.S. children. A few decades ago autism was thought to be rare."
