Autism triggered by environmental conditions, not just genes, says studies

New autism studies suggest environmental conditions in a mother's womb can trigger the disorder

/ istockphoto

(CBS/AP) What causes autism? Scientists still don't have an answer, but two new studies suggest that conditions in a mom's womb may trigger the developmental disorder.

Heredity is considered a major factor that triggers autism spectrum disorders, but scientists have long wondered what roles - if any - environmental factors play. 

PICTURES: Autism: 24 signs your child is at risk

"We've identified lots of vulnerability genes, but not everybody who has them gets autism," said Dr. Gary Goldstein of the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, who was not involved in the new research.

For one study, published in the July 4th issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, scientists used California health records to identify 192 pairs of twins - fraternal or identical - where at least one was affected by autism.

Using diagnostic techniques that included directly observing the children, the scientists found 77 percent of male identical twins and 50 percent of female identical pairs both had autism. Those findings weren't too surprising, consdering identical twins share the same genes.

But what surprised researchers were the high rates of autism spectrum disorders they found in pairs of fraternal twins: 31 percent rate for males and 36 percent for females.

"I was very surprised. The environmental influence is stronger than I thought," study author Dr. Joachim Hallmayer, an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral science at Stanford University, told HealthDay. "It doesn't mean that genes don't play a role, but they may not play as big a role as thought."

Fraternal twins, from two fertilized eggs, share no more genetic material than any other siblings. But since they share the same womb, that could play a role, said Dr. John Constantino, professor of psychiatry at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, who wasn't involved in the new research.

Constantino calls the research a "key finding that puts a spotlight on pregnancy as a time when environmental factors might exert their effects."

Those factors could include stress, diet, infections, and a mother's age, experts said.

And according to another new study published in the same journal, what medication mom is taking.

That study showed mothers who took antidepressants during the year before birth - particularly in the first three months of pregnancy - were more likely to give birth to autistic children. Specifically, 6.7 percent of women taking antidepressants gave birth to a child with an autism spectrum disorder, compared to 3.3 percent of women who weren't taking antidepressants.

Should expecting mom's stop taking their antidepressants?

It's too early to advise pregnant women against antidepressants because untreated depression can be harmful to mother and baby, said the study's author, Dr. Lisa Croen, director of the Autism Research Program at Kaiser Permanente, in Calif.

One out of every 110 children has an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). People with an ASD may experience challenges with social interaction, communication, intelligence, or behavior.

The CDC has more on autism spectrum disorders.

[panton41]

How about we look at the diagnostic criteria for autism and the fact it's the "in" disorder right now? This "explosion" has happened after the DSM-IV came out with newly refined criteria. Kids that were formerly simply a little "different" now are given the label of a disorder. To me its like the "hyperactivity epidemic" of the 1980s. Considering a lot of kids are diagnosed in schools and schools get extra money for autistic kids I can't help but think a lot of diagnosis are a simple money grab. (I had a school psychologist second-guess my private psychiatrist because it wasn't their policy to put "gifted" kids in EH classes.)

Let's also consider that it might be things like the near-total loss of actual social interaction these days. We want to blame a chemical for what's often learned behaviors and maybe Spongebob and Mario aren't the best babysitters. Autism is a deficiency in ability to interact socially and understand emotions and we're simply not interacting like we used to as a society. Not that I'm a technological luddite, I love computers and have been a video gamer my whole life, but I was also forced to go outside and play with my sister and friends. (And you know, sending the kids outside to play helps with childhood obesity, too...)

Oh and the whole vaccine link? That doctor lost his license to practice medicine and was kicked of out of professional societies because it was proved he falsified his study's data and cherry-picked what should have been a random sample. On top of that no one has been able to replicate his results since. In the scientific community that pretty well proves a study was falsified.

[maurine9]

Very obvious you do not have a child with classic autism. It is not a psychological disorder and does not belong in the DSM to begin with. Autism is a metabolic disorder -or one can say a neurological-biological disorder. Schools to get extra money for children with autism-it reality it costs more money to eduate than a NT child. Wakefield has nothing to do with what is going on with those worried about the safety of vaccines. The reason is that tens of thousands of parents saw their normally developing children regress following vaccinations and become autistic. At least this article points out that environment is number 1 now is causation-it just has to take a big leap from 1 chemical during pregnancy to lots of vaccinesafter birth.
Maurine Meleck, south carolina

[dsky8]

Here we go again, lets blame everything and everyone but not the mercury in the shot that is given to newborns fresh out of the womb for Hepatitis. I blame that shot because after receiving it my baby was making alot of noise. I was bullied into it and didn't even know about it until that moment. God if I could take it back and do it again I would not allow any vaccines until five years old. I am so frustrated by these stories that don't help all of us suffering everyday trying to raise someone on the spectrum. It is a nonstop grueling job that I wouldn't wish on anyone.

[Maggy9]

This autism story get's more crazier by the minute. We are now told it is the environment but not the organic-mercury laced vaccine preservative thimerosal. Name me one single chemical more toxic than thimerosal. Find me one cowardly Doctor who would be willing to let themselves be exposed to even a fraticon of the amount that U.S. infants were (are).

[RobertFinneyPhD]

Kaiser Permanente's Autism Scam
Kaiser Permanente has a pattern and practice of failing to provide timely access to diagnosis, assessment, care, and treatment for autism. Rather than providing the care required under its contract and by statute, Kaiser refers patients to Regional Centers, which are funded by taxpayer dollars. Desperate patients are forced to sue the HMO.
Instead of treating autism, Kaiser is wasting money to fund an army of research bureaucrats, who do not provide medical care. They examined medical records, with the assistance of costly, specially written computer programs. Electronic medical records systems (EHR) are also bankrolled by taxpayers.
Kaiser has the ability to tamper with Autism victims' electronic medical records, so that providers cannot be held accountable for wrongful denial of care. Kaiser intentionally failed to design its electronic medical records system to require providers to automatically record any change or deletion of electronically stored medical information, identify who made the change, and make it possible for patients to see the changes.

Kaiser Permanente's sob story, given by Teresa Stark, insults plain folks patients:
"Our system& can't do that, and we're not aware of any system that can &Given the level of investment required to bring our EHR up to that level, is this really what we want to be spending our money on?"
First, Kaiser must recognize that what they refer to as "our money" is the taxpayers' money, not Kaiser's money. Next, Kaiser must recognize that taxpayers pay for medical care, not bureaucrats. Finally, Kaiser must recognize that taxpayers are entitled to know who has accessed and edited their electronic medical records.
Kaiser is sitting on a non-taxable $40 billion slush fund that is invested by Kaiser's Managing Director of Investments. The income can fund all medically necessary care, including autism, and to program electronic medical records' tampering edit controls. You can bet that Kaiser knows when all employees edit billing and investment records.
Documented investigations are posted on hmohardball.com
Robert Finney PhD

[scramcannon]

This story suggests further support of the vitamin D thoery of autsim.

Fraternal twins with higher rates of autsim?

Environemental triggers?

What is more environmental than the sun?

Regarding SSRI's and higher rates? Then explain the highest rates of autsim in the world, those of the Somali women in Minnesota and the Ugandan women of Northern Germany, levels 200 X (two hundred) that of the surrounding population, and vitamin D levels so low as to be often undetectable?

Women treated with SSRI's are morel ikely to have other diagnoses that place them i nthe hands of MD's. MD's tell everyone to avoid the sun.

At least 90% of all vitamin D in circulation are derived from direct sunlight.