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Vol.3 , No. 1, Publication Date: Mar. 2, 2016, Page: 17-19
. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the use of the M-CHAT in a family medicine clinic with a large Somali patient population. This study compared the utility of the M-CHAT and a general developmental screen, the Parent’s Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS), while examining measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination rates. Somali parents have concerns about higher rates of autism in their children caused by the MMR vaccine. A retrospective chart review of well child visits of 90 children ages 18 months through 2 years was done. There was a strong correlation between abnormal PEDS and M-CHAT screens in this population. None of the Somali children screened positive on the M-CHAT, nor did their parents report concerns on the PEDS. All five children with positive M-CHAT results also had abnormal PEDS results. The rate of Somali children not immunized for MMR was significantly higher than for non-Somali children (29% vs 6%, p=0.006). Despite increased concerns for autism in the Somali community, none of the Somali children screened positive on the M-CHAT. Although studies have shown no relation between MMR and autism, significantly fewer Somali children were immunized for MMR than non-Somali children. There was a strong correlation between abnormal PEDS and M-CHAT screens. Ideally, screening tools that work well in one language and culture should be validated before use in others.&picture=http://www.aascit.org/aascit/decorators/img/journal/906.jpg)
| [1] | Diane J. Madlon-Kay, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, USA. |
| [2] | Sabeen Munib, Marathon Medical Group, Anaheim, CA, USA. |
Autism-specific screening is recommended during certain well child visits using an instrument such as the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT). The purpose of the study was to evaluate the use of the M-CHAT in a family medicine clinic with a large Somali patient population. This study compared the utility of the M-CHAT and a general developmental screen, the Parent’s Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS), while examining measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination rates. Somali parents have concerns about higher rates of autism in their children caused by the MMR vaccine. A retrospective chart review of well child visits of 90 children ages 18 months through 2 years was done. There was a strong correlation between abnormal PEDS and M-CHAT screens in this population. None of the Somali children screened positive on the M-CHAT, nor did their parents report concerns on the PEDS. All five children with positive M-CHAT results also had abnormal PEDS results. The rate of Somali children not immunized for MMR was significantly higher than for non-Somali children (29% vs 6%, p=0.006). Despite increased concerns for autism in the Somali community, none of the Somali children screened positive on the M-CHAT. Although studies have shown no relation between MMR and autism, significantly fewer Somali children were immunized for MMR than non-Somali children. There was a strong correlation between abnormal PEDS and M-CHAT screens. Ideally, screening tools that work well in one language and culture should be validated before use in others.
Keywords
Autism, Autism Spectrum Disorders, M-CHAT, Developmental Screening, Undervaccinated Subpopulation, Vaccine Hesitancy
Reference
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