Association of ABO blood groups and Rh Factor with autism spectrum disorder, down syndrome, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder among children in the Saudi population.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to investigate the association between ABO blood groups and Rh factors with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Down Syndrome, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder among children in the Saudi population.

METHODOLOGY: In this retrospective observational study, data on 269 children (200 male and 69 female) diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Down syndrome, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder were obtained from the electronic medical records system of King Khalid University Hospital (KKUH), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia between 2015 and 2024. The dataset includes age, gender, blood group type, and Rh factor for children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Down syndrome, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, as well as information on their parents.

RESULTS

This study comprises 200 male children (74.3%) and 69 female children (25.7%). The most common blood group among all groups was O+ (Autism Spectrum Disorder: 40%, Down syndrome: 31.4%, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder 39.4%), followed by A+ and B+. Rh-negative types were rare, and the AB+ blood group was underrepresented across the study population. Similarly, the mother's blood group type did not significantly differ across diagnoses, χ2(12) = 17.24, p = 0.141. Blood group O+ was the most common maternal (43.5%), and paternal (36.4%) blood type. The mother's and father's blood groups showed no statistically significant association with the child's neurodevelopmental disease diagnosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest no association between blood groups and Autism Spectrum Disorder, Down syndrome, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder among children and their healthy parents in the Saudi population. The most common blood group of children and mothers was O+. However, blood groups O+ and A+ were the most prevalent blood groups among fathers.