The Autistic Me

A study reported today concludes that birth trauma resulting in neonatal intensive care increases the likelihood a child will develop autistic traits.The article appears on several websites. Here is the link to USA Today: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2010-08-09-autism-babies_N.htm The assertion that autism can be predicted in some cases within the first month of life indicates that at least some cases are not caused by post-birth exposure to toxins. No one has been immunized at a month, and I seriously doubt most month-old children have been chewing toxic toys. (We should ask what common experiences the parents, especially mothers, have.) Signs of autism may show up in babies as young as 1 month old, a new study shows. But the tip-offs are not the usual red flags, such as a lack of eye contact or smiling, the researchers noted. Instead, they found babies who needed neonatal intensive care and were later diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder were more likely to have abnormal...

The great portal/blog Left Brain / Right Brain has a lengthy post on current research dealing with potential causes of autism. The post offers links to multiple peer-reviewed studies underway on the familiar suspects, ranging from mercury to the age of parents. Of course, no amount of research will influence the zealots, but I can at least suggest reading the actual studies underway: GENE-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTIONS IN AN AUTISM BIRTH COHORT AUTISM IN A FISH EATING POPULATION (a study of a population exposed to high levels of mercury) NEUROIMMUNOTOXICOLOGY OF MERCURY GENETIC SUSCEPTIBILITY TO MERCURY-INDUCED IMMUNE DYSFUNCTION IN AUTISM & ASD Again, I can only suggest reading and following the research. Many of the early findings demonstrate what we already know: mercury and other toxins are dangerous. What the findings do not, at least not yet, demonstrate is that mercury or other heavy metals are the primary cause of autism. Mercury exposure in adults does cause neurological damag...

I am somehow on a "Generation Rescue" mailing list. I have no idea how this happened, but it means I am learning just want the snake oil industry is pitching to parents: Children's Liver Restorative Kit The foundation for any detox program is the body's hardest working organ - the liver. The Kid's Liver Restorative Kit opens detox pathways. Benefits include a decrease in aggressive, explosive anger and more appropriate social interactions. 2 month supply for average child. $99 with Discount for Generation Rescue parents (Savings of $28) Wow, you save $28 on a magical cure for aggressive behavior. Improved social interaction, too! What a deal! I'm receiving offers like this once or twice a week, now. One offered a hyperbaric chamber for only $5000. Another great bargain. Sorry, but for half that price I can get the hot tub I've always wanted. Yes, I find this all quite disturbing. Then again, I do like nice heavy comforters in the winter and Genera...

Thursday I was fortunate enough to attend a Minnesota Public Radio forum on autism with Prof. Roy Richard Grinker, one of America's leading anthropologists and the grandson of one of our greatest psychiatric minds. I won't pitch Grinker's book Unstrange Minds , beyond writing that anyone interested in autism and the experiences of a parent should read this book. (Read any of Grinker's books, not only Unstrange Minds , by the way, for a great insight into how anthropology works.) What struck me was not Prof. Grinker's wonderful presentation, but was the faith of some parents in the notion that mercury causes autism. Not that these parents didn't think there was some genetic factor, I admit, but that these parents were far more concerned with mercury and "toxins" than any realistic research. These people seemed as strange to me as those people certain that Israel was behind 9/11. Those who suggest "mere" jet fuel could not bring down a buil...