Monday, 18 January 2010
-
Is it possible to prevent autism?
A reader, Theresa, writes in “Is it possible to prevent Autism? My sister has a kid with it and I heard it might be genetic.”The short answer is no, you cannot prevent it.
Since there is no medical test for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and no genetic tests currently to be performed on babies or pregnant women, there is no way to predict which child will develop an ASD.
And because the cause has not yet been identified, preventing it will be extremely difficult until that is done. Researchers have found some factors that may be associated with an increased risk however.These factors include:
- Breech presentation (baby is born upside-down)
- Low Apgar scores (Apgar tests measuring a baby’s health at birth and five minutes later)
- Premature birth
Also, according to Early Autism, “Researchers have also found a link between a parental history of schizophrenia-like psychosis, and a parental history of affective disorders including depression and bipolar disorder, and a child’s risk for autism. Again, these factors are not preventable.”
Also, if a parent already has one child with autism, another child has a 2 -8 % chance of also having autism. ASDs do seem to run in families and may have a hereditary link through genetics but a single gene has not been identified. Scientists suspect that the genes for brain development interact in a way that predisposes a child to autism and other factors influence whether or not that child will develop autism.
The only advice I can give you is to complete your own research on the matter and to decide for yourself (with your significant other) whether or not you want to have children. Both my boys are on the spectrum (as well as myself) and neither of them were born breech, had low Apgar scores or were premature. They do not have any other associated disorder, such as Fragile X syndrome. There are still a lot of unknowns out there about this disorder and until a cause is found there can be no prevention.
RecommendRelated Posts
Post a Comment
- Back to autisable's Autisable Site!
- Note: your comment will appear in autisable's local time zone: GMT -05:00 (Eastern Standard - US, Canada)
About the Author
-
- From: heathersedlock
- About Me: Heather E. Sedlock is a mom of two Autistic boys, and has years of experience dealing with issues related to ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) and other special needs children. Read more at : http://www.examiner.com/x-10560-Tulsa-Special-Needs-Kids-Examiner
Stats: This Week All Time Posts: 0 20 Views: 0 12717 Comments: 0 61 View all posts by heathersedlock
Comments (10)
Doesn't parental and maternal age increase autism risk as well? According the the American Journal of Epidemiology, a study done in 2008 found that there was an independent correlation between autism and parental/maternal age. You can read the pdf for the study here:
http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/168/11/1268
Neither one of my children were breech, had low apgars or were premies. I was thiry and thirty-three. My girlfriends were either in their middle twenties or early thirties when they gave birth to their children. The problem with medicine is they know nothing about what causes the autism gene to activate. In fact the largest growing autistic poplutaions are in China and Africa. Areas that probably had high numbers like the rest of the world, but the stigma is so great that the children were hidden away. Whatever the cause it really isn't a bad thing that reputable science be used to figure it out, not anecdotal stories that parents tend to color to see what they want. Autism is a world-wide phenomenon and it needs to be attacked as such. I hope that scientists are listening.
I was 21 and 24 when I had my two boys. I had heard of that study as well. But I'm not convinced of its accuracy LOL Just because, anedoctally.. it seems off. I do not know of any mothers who have had their babies with autism in their 40s. None. Not a one, so where did these moms in the study come from? LOL I'm not saying it's not true.. I'm just saying my logical mind doesn't computer it because it doesn't go with my experience. I think that's normal for most people.
I do appreciate you offering your opinion and the study for others to make up their mind. As I mentinoed in the articel (originally on my special needs examiner colum) it is important to note for yourself what the science is and isn't. I didn't quote studies that were not empircally based.
While apgar scores, breech, etc. (including age of mother) may be possible triggers, there are, in my mind, still more to be discovered. After all, I was not older, my kids were not breached, etc. So why do I and my sons have autism? We didn't fit any of those triggers. And many of the triggers that have been shows to have some causal relationship are unpreventable while in the womb... soooo... you're still left to chance a lot of the itme. I think it's more important that the mom in this case, take her chances as she sees fit.. 2-8% chance at most of having a child with autism.
SERIOUSLY? Don't pollute your baby with chemicals in food, water, and medicines...Then your odds of Autism diminish from 1 in 110 to 1 in 10,000...
Go organic/natural and filter your water! Let Nature and nutrition protect your child and avoid using fever reducers and "medicines" which mask your child's symptoms and allow illness to get worse unnoticed.
If you want your child to truly be healthy, there is no better way than to provide fresh air, pure food, clean water, and plenty of rest! Health does not come in "fortified" food-like products with fun pictures on the label or through a fast-food window; it also is not created with the injection of known poisons, at the tip of a needle (30 shots by 24 months? That's freaking ridiculous! Check out the vaccine excipients and the vaccine schedule at www.cdc..gov).
Be healthy - avoid Autism.
@LizP - It's funny, but I just wrote something very similar on another page. :)
You guys should think of arranging some gallery to exhibit them out there! Personally I adore custom essays on this topic because they help us arise the awareness in people.
Life is not always good,but I trust I can do more and more better,day day up,come on.
very good, look forward to view your other articles.
I ought to say that it is my very first time browsing your site. Now this is the kinda of stuff i like to read about. Excellent website. I just finished mine and i was looking for some ideas and you gave me a few. Great read!
I like this stuff very much!