The first signs of autism appear very early, already in newborns, and it is crucial to react in time because the first two years of life are crucial for further development, said Iva Ivanović, a child psychiatrist, who was a guest on TV Vijesti TV News.
"When a child is born, he communicates with his environment in a certain way. So, already at that age we can notice the absence of eye contact. When you smile at him, he does not smile back, does not follow the objects you show him with his eyes, does not follow your gaze or pointing out something interesting, we can notice it in the first months of life. Of course, we cannot say that it is a disorder from the autism spectrum, but we can say that there are certain deviations in the development of these communicative abilities," Ivanović stated.
Genetics play a key role in the development of autism, but this does not mean direct inheritance.
"Genetics is a slightly broader term than that, there are certain changes in the genetic material, during conception, during formation, etc. Now, environmental factors, as they are mentioned, are also some that can contribute to this genetics that exists on what basis First of all, obesity, diabetes mellitus, some of the immune disorders, i.e. imbalance. so we say, in an abnormal way. It can also be the age of the parents. However, the age of the father plays a bigger role. It can also be the interval between two pregnancies, so it is not good either. nor that it is too big. As well as environmental factors such as air pollution, toxins, pesticides, something that we are currently unable to influence and change," said Ivanovic.
She added that within the framework of the Early Development Strategy, pediatricians, kindergarten teachers, and visiting nurses are currently being trained in early intervention in order to recognize a potential problem as early as possible.
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