Sarawak ministry to run studies into causes of babies born with autism

MIRI (Aug 17): The Ministry of Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Sarawak will conduct a research on expectant mothers to study the cause of babies born with autism.

According to the deputy minister Datuk Rosey Yunus, this study was prompted by the increasing number of babies born with this condition in the state.

“Our next target is to look at pregnant mothers in the hope to reduce cases like this if we could find out the causes of the birth of such children.

“At the same time, we are also in the process of establishing an OSEIC (One Stop Early Intervention Centre) in Miri. God-willing, it will start operating as early as February next year,” she said this in her speech to welcome Selangor State Women’s Development and Social Welfare Exco, Anfaal Saari, during the latter’s working visit to Miri Hospital Sedidik nursery yesterday.

Adding on, Rosey said her ministry was working closely with the hospital to look at the nutrition aspect of expectant mothers.

“We look at the food pyramid for the diet of our children in school and likewise, for pregnant mothers.

“We may be able to formulate a diet for them with the hope of overcoming the birth of babies with autism,” she said.

SeDidik is an agency under this ministry that plays a major role in further developing the support programmes for the community, especially in relation to workplace nurseries.

In this respect, Rosey said her ministry was planning to expand the Miri Hospital Sedidik nursery, following the projected increase in staff members when the new hospital block began its operations.

“We can expect the number of the staff’s children to increase as well.

“So, this nursery will help, to some extent, in lightening the burden off our staff so that they are not so worried about the condition of the children at home,” she said.

Also present were Selangor Welfare Department director Azmir Kassim, Selangor Special Children Department head Abdul Qayyum Muhammad Suhaimi, Miri Hospital director Dr Jack Wong and Sedidik Sarawak general manager Ayub Dahari.