Do toxins causes autism? (etc)

[Chemisse]

By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF
Published: February 24, 2010

Snippets:

(Development disorders)constitute a huge national health burden, and suspicions are growing that one culprit may be chemicals in the environment. An article in a forthcoming issue of a peer-reviewed medical journal, Current Opinion in Pediatrics, just posted online, makes this explicit.

The article cites “historically important, proof-of-concept studies that specifically link autism to environmental exposures experienced prenatally.” It adds that the “likelihood is high” that many chemicals “have potential to cause injury to the developing brain and to produce neurodevelopmental disorders.”

The author is not a granola-munching crank but Dr. Philip J. Landrigan, professor of pediatrics at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York and chairman of the school’s department of preventive medicine. While his article is full of cautionary language, Dr. Landrigan told me that he is increasingly confident that autism and other ailments are, in part, the result of the impact of environmental chemicals on the brain as it is being formed.

“The crux of this is brain development,” he said. “If babies are exposed in the womb or shortly after birth to chemicals that interfere with brain development, the consequences last a lifetime.”


http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/25/opinion/25kristof.html?em&exprod=myyahoo

[Chemisse]

1. This has long been my suspicion

Not about autism particularly, but about the sharp rise in ADHD over the last 30ish years.

[LeftishBrit]

2. Well worth looking at.

Although a lot of the cause of autism is genetic, there are also prenatal/ perinatal factors that are known to contribute (e.g. prematurity, maternal infections) and I have thought for a long time that there should be more research into the possible effects of prenatal exposure to pollutants. Even if it turns out not to cause autism, it is likely to have other bad effects on development. Of course, the preoccupation with vaccines diverts resources from this topic.

[Chemisse]

4. Frankly I am more excited about movement in this direction

For other problems we have seen, such as the increase in ADHD, early puberty in kids, and the apparent upswing in autoimmune diseases.

It would be nice if we could solve the riddle of autism in a way that could prevent it by limiting exposure in the environment, but the strong genetic component seems to make this less likely.

[HuckleB]

3. I wish Kristof was more careful when he writes about science...

Nicholas Kristof on toxins and autism
http://www.marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2010/02/nicholas-kristof-on-toxins-and-autism.html

Kristof on Environmental Toxins and Autism
http://volokh.com/2010/02/25/kristof-on-environmental-toxins-and-autism/

Kristof's disgusting autism column
http://www.halfsigma.com/2010/02/kristofs-disgusting-autism-column.html

[HuckleB]

5. A couple of responses from scientist parents of autistic children.

Autism and environmental chemicals: a call for caution
http://daisymayfattypants.blogspot.com/2010/02/autism-and-environmental-chemicals-call.html

Autism Is Not Toxic
http://www.care2.com/causes/health-policy/blog/autism-is-not-toxic/


On edit: One more piece that calls for much more "caution" (I'd call it accuracy) than Kristof displayed
http://www.doublex.com/blog/xxfactor/more-caution-autism-op-eds-please

[HysteryDiagnosis]

6. Liver function enhancement during pregnancy.... may end up

being common practice. It is available.

[finn78]

7. Environmental chemicals

Environmental chemicals could be causing so many problems that we just don't know about. But surely in the case of conditions such as autism you could look at the prevelance of the disorder amongst people who are not exposed to such chemicals such as eskimos, tribes in the rain forest etc. Do these kind of condititons exist in such cultures?