Category Archives: Causes of Autism
Breastfeeding and Autism
We’ve all heard the saying “breast is best” and it is fantastic that women are being encouraged to breastfeed their babies because it has so many benefits for both mother and baby.
This month has been chosen by the US Department of Health and Human Services as National Breastfeeding Awareness Month and the department has launched a campaign to highlight the benefits of breastfeeding .
Breast fed babies are at a lower risk of:-
- Allergies
- Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
- Gastrointestinal problems
- Urinary tract infections
- Childhood leukemia
- Respiratory infections
- Ear infections
- Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus
- Necrotizing enterocolitis
- Obesity
- Infections
Women who have breastfed/are breastfeeding their babies:-
- Have a lower risk of contracting breast cancer, ovarian cancer and Type 2 Diabetes
- Are at a lower risk of Postpartum Depression
- Burn 500 calories a day by breastfeeding alone and so can return to their pre-pregnancy weight quicker
- Can save a significant amount of money when compared to those who buy formula – It is estimated that a breastfeeding mom can save between $1,160 and $3,915 depending on the brand of formula the comparison is made against.
Moms are advised to give their babies breastmilk alone for the first 6 months of life (i.e. no weaning) and to try and breastfeed for the baby’s first year.
Breastfeeding and Autism
But hasn’t breastfeeding been linked to an increased risk of autism?
Birth and Autism
As you know, it is not known exactly what causes a child to develop an autism spectrum disorders and many doctors and scientists, myself included, believe that autism is a multi-factorial disorder, meaning that it can be caused by a number of different factors or a combination of factors. These factors can include environmental factors, genetics, vaccines, food intolerances and pregnancy and birth complications.
Today, I’m going to examine evidence that points to autism spectrum disorders being caused by complications at birth. In their book ” A Parent’s Guide to Asperger Syndrome and High-functioning Autism”, Sally Ozonoff, Geraldine Dawson and James McPartland talk about the link between complications in pregnancy, labor and birth, and autism spectrum disorders, saying that:
“A number of pregnancy, labor and delivery complications have been noted in the histories of children who later turn out to have autism spectrum disorders, such as maternal bleeding during pregnancy, high blood pressure in the mother leading to toxemia, prematurity, and oxygen deprivation during or shortly after birth.”
However, Ozonoff, Dawson and Mc Partland point out that these complications are also found in the birth histories of children with mental retardation, cerebral palsy, speech and language difficulties, and learning disabilities, so they wonder if actually these birth complications cause differences in the brain, rather than autism specifically, or whether actually it is the autism that causes the birth complications.
You might think that it is very strange to believe that it is the autism that causes the pregnancy and birth complications, rather than the other way round, but Ozonoff et al. point out that in the case of Down Syndrome (a disorder that is determined at conception), mothers of babies with Down Syndrome have a higher than average rate of experiencing pregnancy and delivery complications – interesting!
Studies into Birth
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Pitocin and Autism – A Link?
Is there a link between the usage of pitocin, an artificial hormone given to induce or speed up labor, and the rise in autism statistics? Are we causing autism by our use of such drugs in the birth process?
The theory of a link between pitocin and autism is a controversial one, and a rather worrying one, but it is something that needs further research so that we can rule it out or do something about it.
It first entered the public forum when Geoffrey Cowley, a Newsweek reporter, interviewed physician Dr Eric Hollander of New York’s Mount Sinai School of Medicine for an article back in July 2000 (see http://www.newsweek.com/id/85572/page/1 for “Understanding Autism” article). Dr Hollander had made the startling discovery that 60% of his autistic patients had been exposed to pitocin in the womb, when their mothers’ labors had been induced, and said:-
“In some individuals whose oxytocin system could be genetically vulnerable, a strong environmental early hit while the brain is still developing could down-regulate the oxytocin system, leading to developmental problems. But this is only a hypothesis that has been observed by association.”
What is Pitocin?
Pitocin is a synthetic version of oxytocin, a hormone that is naturally produced by a woman’s brain to produce spontaneous labor. When oxytocin is produced in the woman’s body, it triggers uterine contractions which cause the woman’s cervix to dilate and which also propel the baby through the birth canal. When a woman goes past her due date or needs to be induced for some reason, pitocin can be used to artificially induce labor or speed things up.
Ultrasounds and Autism
Ultrasounds are something that we all take for granted in modern day pregnancies and they are a vital diagnostic tool used by obstetricians, midwives and health professionals all over the world.
What are Ultrasounds?
Ultrasounds, also known as obstetric sonograms, obstetric sonographies and pregnancy sonograms, are imaging tests that use soundwaves to form a picture of the developing fetus in the womb, and also the placenta. The ultrasound scanner produces high frequency soundwaves which pass through the body and bounce back off bones and tissue, forming an image of the fetus which is then available on the scanner screen.
There are seven main types of ultrasound scan: transvaginal scan, standard ultrasound, advanced ultrasound, Doppler ultrasound, 3D ultrasound, 4 D ultrasound (or 3D Dynamic ultrasound) and Fetal Echocardiography. Although these ultrasounds are slightly different and look at different things, they all use the same technology.
There is no recommended number of ultrasounds in pregnancy and the number of ultrasounds a woman will be offered depends on her circumstances, her healthcare provider and whether there are any concerns regarding the pregnancy.
Ultrasounds in the first trimester are used to confirm whether the pregnancy is viable, to give a due date, to confirm heartbeat and also assess whether the pregnancy is ectopic. In the second trimester, ultrasounds can be used to diagnose any abnormalities or malformation of the fetus, to check on growth and development, assess whether it is a multiple pregnancy, confirm the death of the fetus where this is suspected, and identify problems such as excessive or reduced levels of amniotic fluid. In the third trimester, ultrasounds can be used to find out the location of the placenta, confirm death of the fetus if it is suspected, to check on the growth and development of the baby, to confirm presentation of …
Autism and Stem Cells – Part 2
Mercury
Last week, I wrote about how some scientists believe that stem cells can treat autism because they believe that autism is characterized by hypoperfusion (a reduction in the oxygen supply to the brain) and immune dysregulation. Scientists like Dr Leonard Smith believe that stem cells can increase blood flow, and therefore oxygen, to the brain and also treat inflammation in the gut. This sounds like great news but can stem cell treatment really “cure” autism?
Well, the simple answer is that it depends what you think is the cause of autism and autism symptoms. If you are of the opinion that autism is caused by a birth injury, a lack of oxygen at birth, then you will believe that stem cell treatment can be beneficial. However, if you believe, as I do, that there are many factors involved in causing autism and exacerbating symptoms, then you cannot believe that stem cell treatment is going to effectively “cure” autism, although it may offer short-term relief and recovery.
Environmental factors that may be involved in causing autism include:-
- Heavy metal exposure – Heavy metals in our environment include mercury, cadmium, manganese and lead.
- Pollutants – Chemicals like phenol, PCBs, dioxins, nicotine etc.
- Vaccines – The MMR vaccine, vaccines containing thimerosal and our program of childhood vaccines.
- Vitamin and nutrient deficiencies – Vitamin A, B and D deficiencies, deficiencies in essential nutrients like amino acids, Essential Fatty Acids and minerals.
- Food intolerances – Foods like gluten and casein causing gut inflammation or causing the production of peptides which acts as opiates on the brain.
- Candida Yeast – An overgrowth of candida yeast in the gut.
How can stem cell treatment possibly combat any of these factors?
It can’t.
The Dangers of Toxic Cleaning Products
I’ve blogged before about reducing your child’s toxic load to help alleviate symptoms of autism, to cut the risk of autism in subsequent children and to have a healthier home, and today I’m going to talk about one particular chemical and toxin, phenol.
What is phenol?
Phenol, or carbolic acid, is a chemical that both occurs naturally and that can be manufactured. It ranges from being a colorless liquid to being a white crystalline solid and has a distinct sickly sweet or “tarry” smell which is often associated with the smell of hospitals.
Phenol is used in many different products. It is used to make phenolic resins which are used in industries like the automotive, plywood, appliance, nylon and construction industries, and it is also an ingredient in disinfectants like Lysol, antiseptics, cleaning products, medicines, mouthwashes, lozenges and ear and nose drops.
Phenol can also be found in food, as gallic acid and malvin.
Dangers associated with Phenol exposure
There are many dangers associated with dermal (skin) or oral (ingesting it) exposure to phenol, and also breathing it in. These dangers and health risks include skin irritation, poisoning resulting in muscle weakness, tremors, paralysis and even respiratory arrest, liver and kidney damage, cardiac toxicity (damage to the heart) and lung damage.
But what has all this got to do with autism?
Autism, Vitamin A and Vaccinations
A few weeks ago, I blogged about Vitamin D and how the rise in Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to the rise in autism, but vitamin D is not the only deficiency that has been linked to autism and some people are suggesting that a deficiency in vitamin A may be responsible.
As I have said before, the Standard American Diet is not healthy and, although we may be eating a lot and filling ourselves up, many of us are actually malnourished because our diet does not contain enough of the essential nutrients that our bodies need to function properly and for our children to develop and grow correctly. Instead our diets are high in sugar, fats, salt and empty calories. However, low fat diets can also be bad for us because by not eating an adequate amount of fat we may actually be causing our bodies to be deficient in vitamin A, which is found in foods like full fat dairy foods, liver and cod liver oil.
Autism and Vaccines
In a study entitled “Is Autism a G-Alpha Protein Defect Reversible with Natural Vitamin A?”, Mary Megson, MD, a developmental pediatrician, argues that “Autism may be a disorder linked to the disruption of the G-alpha protein, affecting retinoid receptors in the brain” and that some cases of autism may be caused by “inserting a G-alpha protein defect, the pertussis toxin found in the D.P.T. vaccine, into genetically at-risk children”. This study also argues that the live viral measles vaccine (MMR) depletes a child’s existing supply of vitamin A and so has a negative impact on the retinoid receptors in the brain.
Megson, in an article entitled “Autism and Vaccinations”, reports that this G-Alpha protein defect causes:-
- Night blindness
- Problems seeing light-to-dark shading
- Problems perceiving what they are
…
Autism and Mitochondrial Disease
It was the Vaccine Court Poling Case that brought the possible link between Mitochondrial Disease out into the open in 2008. The Poling family won compensation, in the form of an out of court settlement, because they were able to convince people that their daughter Hannah’s autism was a result of nine vaccines that had been administered to her just 48 hours before Hannah developed the first signs and symptoms of autism.
Hannah Poling suffered from Mitochondrial Disease, or dysfunction, a disorder that she had inherited from her mother, and it is not known whether it was the vaccines alone that caused her autism or whether her mitochondrial disease had left her vulnerable to the vaccines triggering the autism. The Chief Science Officer of the charity “Autism Speaks” thinks that in cases like Hannah Poling, the vaccinations stimulate the immune system, putting stress on the functioning of the cells in of the body and exacerbating the symptoms of the Mitochondrial Disease that the child already has and triggering autism symptoms.
Mitochondrial Disease
Mitochondrial Disease is not just one disease, but is actually a collection of over 40 different disorders that affect the mitochondria. The mitochondria are the “powerhouse” organelles (subunits) of cells known as the eukaryote cells. The job of the mitochondria is to covert energy from food molecules into Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) which is needed to power cells and for metabolism.
Mitochondrial Disease has many different characteristics, depending on where the defective DNA has been distributed in the body, but symptoms can include:-
- Muscle weakness
- Heart problems
- Episodes similar to strokes
- Problems with co-ordination and motor skills
- Seizures
- Vomiting
- Developmental delays
Evidence Linking Autism and Mitochondrial Disease
As well as the Poling Case, a Portuguese Study has also suggested a link between autism…
Does Vitamin D Deficiency Cause Autism? – Part 2
Last week, I blogged about a report in Scientific American Magazine linking Vitamin D deficiency with Autism because of the rising number of autism cases in two communities of Somali immigrants who had moved from their equatorial country, with plenty of sunshine, to northern latitude countries.
You can read the Scientific American Magazine report at http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=vitamin-d-and-autism and click here to read my blog post on it. This week, I have decided to dig a little deeper into the vitamin D theory.
Now, many people have pointed out that these Somali communities would also have faced other changes too, not just lack of sunlight. For example, their new environment may be more toxic (pollution and heavy metals), the vaccination program in their new countries may be different, their diet would have changed etc. So I’m not sure how this preliminary study was able to rule out these other factors and make vitamin D deficiency the missing link.
However, whatever we think about this report into vitamin D deficiency and the Somali communities, there are many scientists out there who do think that vitamin D is a factor that should not be dismissed and that needs to be taken seriously.
Vitamin D – Is it a Plausible Theory?
The Vitamin D Council is an organization run by John Jacob Cannell, MD, a doctor with a special interest in clinical nutrition, and it aims to educate and inform people about vitamin D to prevent vitamin D deficiency, and the illnesses and conditions which are caused by a deficiency.
Cannell points out that at the same time that we are experiencing a vitamin D deficiency epidemic, we are also in the midst of an autism epidemic – can the two be linked? Yes, Cannell believes that sun avoidance is the…
Does Vitamin D Deficiency Cause Autism?
In the past few weeks, there have been a couple of reports about Vitamin D in “Scientific American” magazine which both have bearings on autism.
Vitamin D Deficiency Affects the US
The first report was about how Vitamin D deficiency is soaring in the US, according to a study published in the “Archives of Internal Medicine”. The study claimed that a whopping three quarters of US teens and adults have a deficiency of vitamin D – that’s quite an incredible figure and makes you wonder why.
The study’s author, Adit Ginde, from the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, puts this vitamin D deficiency down to skin cancer prevention measures such as wearing long sleeves and using sunscreen ( sun protection of just factor 15 can cut the skin’s ability to manufacture vitamin D by 99%) and points out that there are actually very few dietary sources of vitamin D. Vitamin D is known as the “sunshine vitamin” because the skin produces vitamin D when it is exposed to the sun. By protecting ourselves from sun exposure, to reduce our risk of melanoma, we are cutting our levels of vitamin D.
Is There a Link between Lack of Sun and Autism?
But what has all this got to do with autism? Doesn’t a vitamin D deficiency lead to bone problems, such as rickets, osteoporosis and arthritis, not autism?
Well, yes, but experts are now wondering if a growth in vitamin D deficiencies has got something to do with the growth in autism. This theory is the result of two preliminary studies in Minnesota and Sweden, and the findings of these studies are discussed in the second article in “Scientific American” magazine.
Both Sweden and Minnesota have large Somali immigrant communities who seem to be overrepresented in the total number…
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