SINGAPORE – More than one in 100 children at the age of 18 months here have autism – the age when kids can be screened for the condition.
A local study published in 2023 by the National University Hospital (NUH) and National University Polyclinics found that among 5,336 children aged around 18 months, the prevalence of autism here was 1.1 per cent, or roughly just over one in 100 children.
The prevalence of autism – a neuro-developmental condition – here was estimated at one in 150 children in 2016.
Overall, the number of kids aged six and below with developmental needs, which include speech and language delay and behavioural problems, has increased by 32 per cent from 5,300 in 2019, to 7,000 in 2023.
Among those diagnosed with such needs, about 20 per cent have autism.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) released these figures in response to queries from The Straits Times, providing the latest data from the Child Development Programme at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) and NUH.
Doctors say the rise largely stems from increased awareness and screening.
An MOH spokesman said: “The overall better early detection can be attributed to various efforts to encourage parents to bring their children for Childhood Developmental Screening at appropriate touchpoints, so that children who may need interventions are identified early.”
For instance, developmental checks on personal-social and motor skills, as well as language, are conducted together with the recommended childhood vaccinations to make it more convenient for families.
Associate Professor Lourdes Mary Daniel, head and senior consultant at the Department of Child Development at KKH, said there is improved awareness of autism symptoms.
Other factors associated with increased likelihood of autism include mothers being over 40 years of age at the child’s birth, and birth prematurity of less than 35 weeks’ gestation, or birth weight under 2.5kg, she said.
Prof Daniel said antenatal screening during pregnancy can help identify maternal, placental and fetal conditions and environmental risk factors for developmental concerns in the foetus. These include birth defects and structural abnormalities, as well as blood flow to the fetal brain.
Dr Aishworiya Ramkumar, senior consultant at NUH’s Department of Paediatrics, said excessive screen time also has cognitive implications.
A 2024 NUH study found that children referred for developmental, behavioural or emotional issues had been exposed to over two hours of screen time per day on average when they were aged two and under, against international guidelines which advise no screen time for children in this group.
Excessive screen use among infants and toddlers can lead to attention, language and social skills difficulties as well as aggressive behaviour in later childhood, said paediatricians.
‘We thought he was just naughty’: Over 1 in 100 kids in Singapore have autism
