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Body mass index in male and female children with pervasive developmental disorders |
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| Authors: | Svend E Mouridsen Bente Rich Torben Isager |
| Institution: | Cand Psych, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Bispebjerg University Hospital, Copenhagen; , Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Odense University Hospital, Odense; and Centre for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Glostrup University Hospital, Glostrup, Denmark |
| Abstract: | Background: The aim of the present study was to evaluate body mass index (BMI) of children with a pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) attending two university clinics during the 1960–84 period. Methods: BMI derived from medical records of 83 consecutively admitted children with atypical autism and 115 children with Asperger syndrome were compared with the corresponding BMI percentiles in an age- and sex-matched reference population. Results: The BMI distribution of the boys, but not the girls, in both diagnostic categories was significantly lower than those of the age-matched reference populations. Approximately 15% of the boys had a BMI below the fifth percentile. Conclusions: The present findings are comparable to the results of other studies. Particular attention is given to low BMI as a potential endophenotype in boys with PDD. |
| Keywords: | Asperger syndrome atypical autism body mass index developmental disorder endophenotype pervasive |