What Causes Autism
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Written by Manson T
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Saturday, 31 January 2009 |
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 The question raised in this article's title is a very controversial topic and a lot of people have very strong beliefs about the issue. Most experts say that autism is caused by a combination of both genetic and environmental factors, but none of these experts have a definite answer as to exactly what causes autism. This lack of a definite answer has been very frustrating, especially for the families of those who suffer from this disorder.
This frustration has caused the heating up of arguments in regard to the true cause of autism and as a result, interest and funding for research on autism have significantly increased. Following are the most popular theories on what causes autism, and the time may be near when we will finally know for sure which of these theories is correct.
Vaccines. Two theories link vaccines to autism , the first of which points to thimerosal as the culprit. Thimerosal is a mercury-based preservative used in a number of vaccines between the late 1980s to the year 2003. Some researchers believe that babies born during that period were injected with too much thimerosal and some of these babies, they feel, were genetically incapable of clearing the mercury from their bodies, thus leading to autism. The second theory that links vaccines to autism deals with a perceived harm from the mumps/measles/rubella vaccine. This vaccine contains three sets of viruses and is given to children at an age when autism is likely to become evident, which could also be the reason why it has become controversial. The theory is that some children have a genetic pre-disposition to immune problems and the viruses contained in the vaccine causes a series of autoimmune reactions that lead to a child's deterioration.
Genes. The likelihood that autism has a genetic basis of sorts is very high, since several studies have shown that couples belonging to families with autistic members more often have autistic children of their own. Many families even have more than one autistic member.
Brain Development. Researchers have noticed a significant difference between the brains of autistic children and those who are not. The autistic brain appears to be larger than the typical brain, and the two types of brain seem to process information differently. More research into this area is currently being conducted at the University of Pittsburgh.
Food Allergies. There are those who believe that food allergies contribute to the symptoms of autism and most of those who hold this belief point to gluten and cassein as the most significant autism culprits.
With the existing research conclusions, so far, it seems likely that a combination of the above theories is the real answer as to what causes autism. Until we can say for sure, however, it would be best to focus on treatments and to continue supporting further research into the subject.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 29 May 2009 )
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