Childhood Autism in a 3-Year Old Male Nigerian Whose Mother was diagnosed with Hepatitis C Virus Infection during Pregnancy: A Case Report
M. N. Igwe *
Department of Psychological Medicine, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria.
N. A. Ajayi
Department of Internal Medicine, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Introduction: Childhood autism is a pervasive developmental disorder presenting with a distinct pattern of impairments in social relationships and communication with repetitive/stereotyped behaviour. Multiple aetiological factors have been established and viral infections that occur very early in development have been proposed as possible aetiological factors.
Case Presentation: This article reports a case of childhood autism in a 3-year old male Nigerian whose mother was diagnosed with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection during pregnancy.
Conclusion: The observation in this case report of childhood autism in a 3-year old male Nigerian whose mother had HCV infection during pregnancy raises the question of a possible association between childhood autism and HCV.
Keywords: Childhood autism, hepatitis C virus, pregnancy