Background: Pervasive developmental disorders include five chronic disorders marked by early impairment in socialization, communication and behavior. Little is known about the types of pervasive developmental disorders in Iraq. This is a retrospective clinical study aiming at determining the types of pervasive developmental disorders in Iraqi children observed at the pediatric psychiatry clinic in a tertiary pediatric referral center. Patients and methods: During nine months period (November 18th, 2018 to July 18th, 2019), fifty one patients with a diagnosis of pervasive developmental disorders (30 males and 21 females) were observed at the psychiatry clinic at the Children Teaching Hospital of Baghdad Medical City. Their ages ranged from two and half years to twelve years. Results: Thirty two (17 males and 15 females) patients had autism without significant mental retardation as indicated by adequate urine and bowel control and self care skills particularly spoon feeding. Thirteen patients were considered to have atypical autism or Pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (10 boys and 3 girls), in eleven of them, the disorder was considered atypical because of the lack of adequate urine and bowel control and self care skills particularly appropriate spoon feeding indicating significant degree of mental retardation. In one patient, his condition was considered a typical because of the presence of an acceptable eye contact and response appropriately to name in most instances. Three patients had Asperger syndrome including two girls and one boy. Two boys had childhood disintegrative disorder (Heller syndrome), one of them have changes on brain MRI suggestive of cerebral vasculitis. One girl had Rett syndrome and her case and early treatment was published. Conclusion: In this series, typical autism without significant mental retardation accounted for 63%. Atypical autism (Pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise) was the second most common type of Pervasive developmental disorders accounting for about 25%. Asperger syndrome accounted for only 6% of the cases in this series
Pervasive Developmental Disorders in Iraqi Children