Prevalence of Externalizing Disorders and Autism Spectrum Disorder among Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Abstract

Due to their central nervous system impairments, children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) commonly exhibit externalizing behaviours such as hyperactivity, impulsivity, and/or delinquency. The purpose of the current study was to estimate the prevalence of neurodevelopmental disorders with prominent externalizing behaviours, namely Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Conduct Disorder (CD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), as well as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) among children with FASD. A comprehensive systematic literature search was performed, followed by disorder-specific random-effects meta-analyses. Of the disorders investigated, ADHD was found to be the most common co-morbid disorder among children with FASD (52.9%), followed by ODD (12.9%), CD (7.0%), and ASD (2.6%). When compared to the general population of the United States, these rates are notably higher: 15-times higher for ADHD, two-times higher for ASD, three-times higher for CD, and five-times higher for ODD. The results call attention to the need for identifying a distinct neurodevelopmental profile to aid in the accurate identification of children with FASD and the discrimination of FASD from certain idiopathic neurodevelopmental disorders.