GENDER DIFFERENCES IN AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER : INVESTIGATING THE ROLE OF NEONATAL JAUNDICE

Abstract

Many neurodevelopmental difficulties that affect social interaction and communication are represented by autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study delves into the gender-specific prevalence of ASD in relation to neonatal jaundice, leveraging the "Autistic Spectrum Disorder Screening Data for Toddlers" dataset based on 2018, which comprises 1,054 cases detailed across 18 attributes. The study uses ten behavioural traits (Q-Chat-10) and other measures to focus on finding gender differences in the incidence of ASD, especially in relation to neonatal jaundice. With a male-to-female ratio (MFR) of 3.479, the results show that boys with neonatal jaundice are more susceptible to ASD. The study emphasizes the significance of early diagnosis methods and proposes that tracking jaundice in addition to other possible risk factors may enable earlier ASD therapy. In spite of the insightful discoveries, the study recognizes the limitations of its dependence on secondary data and calls for larger datasets, early detection of jaundice, and other risk factors for timely diagnosis and treatment of ASD.