Autism Disorders Common and May be Related to Environmental Exposures and Poor Nutrition

Autism is a chronic disorder which begins in early childhood which presents with varying degrees of problems with social behavior, language and repetitive motion behaviors.  A mild form of autism is called Asperger’s disorder in which patients are generally very intelligent and very kind but have some social difficulties.  Many people with Asperger’s are very productive people such as computer billionaire Bill Gates and livestock authority Temple Grandin.  

The incidence of autism and related disorders on the autism spectrum like Asperger’s has seemed to be growing in recent years. A recent study in press in Pediatrics studied 78,037 US children aged 3 to 17 years. This study reported that 1.1% of all US children have autistic spectrum disorders. This estimates means that about 673,000 children in the US have autistic spectrum disorders. Autistic spectrum disorders were about 4 times as common in boys than girls, more common in white children than non-white children, and more common in children from the Midwest or Northeast as opposed to the South or West of the USA.

Nutritional deficiencies and environmental exposures may play a role in the recent higher rates of autistic spectrum disorders. Some studies have found that incidence of autistic spectrum disorders to be higher in children whose diets are low in nutrients such as omega 3 fats, milk, and fruits-vegetables and higher in empty calorie foods like sugar and refined flour.  Some studies have reported that supplementation with such nutrients as omega 3, vitamins, zinc, magnesium and phytochemicals (from fruits and vegetables) may provide some modest benefit to autistic children.

Environmental exposures to such toxics as lead, mercury, pesticides, hazardous waste dumps, and air pollution during pregnancy and early childhood have been associated with significantly higher rates of autistic spectrum disorders. Mercury in vaccines has been suspected as a possible trigger for autism, but research on this question has been mixed.  (Thimerosal is a mercury containing preservative which has been used in vaccines such as the MMR= measles, mumps, rubella.)  One large study shows a relationship between mercury in vaccines and increased rates of autism spectrum disorders and 3 other large studies show no relationship.

Autism is a complex neurological and psychological disorder.  Its treatment will probably require multiple treatments including good nutrition and supplements, avoidance of toxic chemicals, medications and behavioral / social/ educational/ speech interventions.

For my free review article on nutritional and environmental factors relating to autism and attention deficit disorders, please e-mail me at LukeTCurtis@aol.com.