Researchers may have found the cause of Autism and no, it's not a vaccine
2024-11-13 13:05:57
TiranaPost
Polluted air that pregnant women breathe during pregnancy may be linked to a greater risk of their child developing autism. This is what the newest study says.
A review of the latest literature found that babies with a genetic predisposition to autism exposed to four common air pollutants were more likely to develop the condition.
It is thought that when inhaled during early childhood or in the womb, these pollutants can enter the bloodstream. There, they can bypass the protective layers of the brain, causing inflammation, changing the way nerves work and develop.
Autism figures have increased worldwide over the past few decades. A recent analysis showed that in the US, it has tripled in children and youth - and about three in every 100 children have autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Dr Haitham Amal, at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said they were trying to understand what could be contributing to this increase in cases.
His lab is primarily focused on nitric oxide (NO), a gas released from fuel in cars. It suggests that autism is caused by a complex interaction of your genetics and your environment.
Dr Amal said: 'My laboratory has proven that nitric oxide plays a major role in Autism.'
This comes after the American Lung Association reports that 39 percent of the US lives in an area with high amounts of air pollution, including some of the chemicals studied in this research.
According to the ALA report, some of the cities with the most air pollution included Phoenix, Arizona, San Jose, California and Oregon.
Particulate matter is made up of microscopic particles of dust, liquid or smoke produced by construction sites, power plants and cars.
The particle is between seven and 30 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, sulfur dioxide is a colorless gas or liquid produced when fossil fuels are burned or when metal such as aluminum is smelted.
Ozone is a colorless, odorless gas produced by chemical plants, oil-based paints and print shops, according to the EPA.
They found that people with a genetic predisposition to autism who were exposed to air pollution early in life were more likely to develop the condition than people less exposed to air pollution.
So the combination of genes and environment may contribute to a greater risk of developing autism.
The authors did not provide a figure, but a separate, older study from Harvard found that exposure to air pollution such as particulate matter in early childhood can increase the risk of developing autism by up to 64%. While in the womb, exposure to particles can increase the risk by 31%.
Doctors aren't sure what causes autism, but 40 to 80 percent of autism cases are thought to be linked to genes. So people may be more likely to develop autism if someone in their immediate family has the condition.
The team of Dr. Amal isn't sure why pollution and autism might be linked, but they have a few theories.
First, when someone breathes in one of these pollutants, it can cause inflammation in nerve tissue, changing the way it develops over time. Their research suggests that NO can also cross the placenta and enter the body of the developing fetus.
People are most vulnerable to these influences when they are developing in the womb and in early childhood because their brains are still forming, said Dr. Amal.
