1. {{Academy of Medicine Singapore-Ministry of Health clinical practice guidelines: Autism Spectrum Disorders in pre-school children}}. {Singapore Med J} (Mar);51(3):255-263.
The Academy of Medicine Singapore (AMS) and the Ministry of Health (MOH) publish clinical practice guidelines to provide doctors and patients in Singapore with evidence-based guidance on managing important medical conditions. This article reproduces the introduction and executive summary (with recommendations from the guidelines) from the AMS-MOH clinical practice guidelines on Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), for the information of readers of the Singapore Medical Journal. Chapters and page numbers mentioned in the reproduced extract refer to the full text of the guidelines, which are available from the Ministry of Health website (http://www.moh.gov.sg/mohcorp/publications.aspx?id=24048). The recommendations should be used with reference to the full text of the guidelines. Following this article are multiple choice questions based on the full text of the guidelines.
2. Favero-Nunes MA, Santos MA. {{Depression and quality of life in mothers of children with pervasive developmental disorders}}. {Rev Lat Am Enfermagem} (Jan-Feb);18(1):33-40.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of dysphoria/depressive symptoms in mothers of autistic children and to identify correlations between quality of life and socio-demographic profile. An exploratory, descriptive and cross-sectional study was carried out, involving 20 mothers, by applying a socio-demographic profile questionnaire, the Brazilian version of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the WHOQOL-Bref quality of life scale. Dysphoria/depression criteria were found in 15% of the mothers. Overall quality of life was evaluated as positive in 70%, however only 40% were satisfied with their health. The Physical domain (mean=69.4) was perceived as the best, and environment domain as the worst (mean=60.8). Quality of life had a positive association with family income and level of education, and a negative association with depression. Considering the results, further research, especially on those variables that were not statistically relevant, is suggested.
3. Rommelse NN, Peters CT, Oosterling IJ, Visser JC, Bons D, van Steijn DJ, Draaisma J, van der Gaag RJ, Buitelaar JK. {{A Pilot Study of Abnormal Growth in Autism Spectrum Disorders and Other Childhood Psychiatric Disorders}}. {J Autism Dev Disord} (Apr 29)
The aims of the current study were to examine whether early growth abnormalities are (a) comparable in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and other childhood psychiatric disorders, and (b) specific to the brain or generalized to the whole body. Head circumference, height, and weight were measured during the first 19 months of life in 129 children with ASD and 59 children with non-ASD psychiatric disorders. Both groups showed comparable abnormal patterns of growth compared to population norms, especially regarding height and head circumference in relation to height. Thus abnormal growth appears to be related to psychiatric disorders in general and is mainly expressed as an accelerated growth of height not matched by an increase in weight or head circumference.
