The College of Pharmacy discussed the Master’s Degree thesis, tagged “Risk Factors and Medications used in Children and Youth with Autism and/or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder”, by student Shumoos Riadh M. Shafeea and her supervisors, Assist, Prof. Zinah M. Anwar and Dr. Zainab Ali Saleem in the clinical pharmacy department.The thesis aimed to investigate the relationship between neurodevelopmental disorders in children and risk factors in the Iraqi population. In addition, the use of psychotropic medication in children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders. This study was conducted at the National Center for Autism / Medical City Complex. The study included 240 children and adolescents divided into two groups, in which 120 children with neurodevelopmental disorders and 120 healthy children participated. Among the tested variables, more than two-thirds (68%) of the mothers of children with NDDs used progesterone during pregnancy, and 36.7% had pregnancy or labor complications. Approximately 40% of the patient group had a family history of psychiatric illness, and 28.3% of their parents were smokers. In addition, paternal age at conception time was significantly associated with NDDs in children. Five perinatal factors are significantly associated with NDDs: low birth weight, newborn complications, preterm birth, the last child, and children being delivered via cesarean section. The patient group received five main categories of therapeutic regimens: behavioral and tonic treatments (54.2%); behavioral and psychotropic medications (24.2%); behavioral and clonidine (13.3%); behavioral treatment only (13.3%), or a combination of behavioral, psychotropic, and clonidine (2.5%). One or more psychotropic medications were administered to 40% of the patients. Half of children with ADHD and ASD and ADHD have used psychotropic medications, compared to approximately 27% of children with ASD who have only used psychotropic medications. The present study confirmed the relationship between some maternal and newborn factors and NDDs. These factors include pregnancy and labor complications, paternal age at conception, smoking by any parent, mothers who used progesterone during pregnancy, children delivered via cesarean section, family history of psychiatric illness, low birth weight, newborn complications, preterm birth, and being last child. Also show the medication use in children and youth with ASD and ADHD, where there is a high use of drugs in the ASD and ADHD group, as well as ADHD group.
