4 December 19:29
In Russia there is a significant increase in the number of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). According to an analysis by the Baza publication, over the past six years the number of such cases has increased by approximately 140%.
If in 2018, according to the Ministry of Health, 31,685 children with autism were registered, then by the end of 2024, according to Rosstat statistics, this figure in the age group from 0 to 14 years old reached 76,096 people. A particularly sharp jump occurred between 2022 and 2024 – from 44 to 76 thousand cases.
At the same time, as noted by foundations for helping children with disabilities, the actual number of children with ASD may be even higher. The difference in numbers is often associated with calculation methods and diagnostic criteria.
Among the preliminary reasons for the increase, experts cite later age of parents, perinatal factors (low birth weight, prematurity), as well as complications during pregnancy. However, the key factor is likely to be improved detection.
As the head of the child psychiatry department of the National Medical Research Center named after A.N. explained to the publication. Bekhtereva Igor Makarov, the growth of statistics may be associated with a discrepancy in terminology. In Russia, the ICD-10 classification is still used, where instead of the diagnosis of ASD, the broad category F84 (“General disorders of psychological development”) is used. In addition, increased media attention to the topic has led to greater awareness among parents and doctors, and therefore to more frequent diagnosis.
