The Oral Health of Autistic Children and its Impact on the Mental Health of Parents of Karachi, Pakistan

Abstract

Background: Autism spectrum disorder is a mental health disorder which affects the oral health of autistic children. The parents of autistic children have to come across various problems associated with mental health. Objective: This study is conducted to assess the oral health of autistic children and its impact on the mental health of parents. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 150 parents of autistic children. Out of which 75 were mothers and 75 were fathers. Hence, (DASS 21) was use to assess depression, anxiety and stress of parents. SPSS version-23 was use to analyze the data by applying independent t-test and Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient . (P ≤ 0.05) was considered significant. Results: The findings of the study revealed that autistic children have poor oral health status. Oral symptoms such as caries (p < 0.001), bad breath (p < 0.001), gingivitis (p < 0.001), and breathing from mouth (p < 0.001), biting of objects (p < 0.05) and unfavorable experience of dentist (p < 0.001) was highly significant among autistic children. Hence no significant difference was observed in dietary pattern of autistic children. Depression, anxiety and stress were observed among the parents of autistic children. Conclusion: Dental Carries, bad breath and gingivitis was commonly seen among the autistic children due to poor oral hygiene. In this situation when children are unable to understand parents. It becomes a challenging situation for parents leading to depression, stress and anxiety. Keywords: Autism spectrum disorder, Mental health, Oral health