autism (Page 4)

This theory is based on a comparison of autism with the weather records from three West Coast states: California, Oregon and Washington State. Researchers found that rates of autism were higher in children who lived in states where it rained a lot during their first 3 years.

How can this be? Since we suspect that autism is caused by a reaction to heavy metals in genetically susceptible infants, perhaps rain causes this type of pollution (often from power plants) to be brought closer to the ground, where it can be breathed in by infants and pregnant mothers.
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Our brains are constantly trying to stay in balance?between too much and too little nerve activity. When they become unbalanced, this leads to disorders like schizophrenia and autism. If we could just find that neuron “switch,” maybe we could turn it off.

In the Scientific American website, Susannah F. Locke quotes neurobiologist Michael Greenberg as saying, “Nobody has [found] a gene that controls the process in quite that way before.” But he thinks HE has: a gene called Npas4.
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…And May Affect Adults as Well! – US researchers studying hospital records in Sweden have discovered that parents of children with autism were roughly twice as likely to have been hospitalized for a mental disorder, such as schizophrenia, than parents of other children. Doctors know that autism is genetic, although it is TRIGGERED by exposure to heavy metals. This new finding may mean that ADULTS are affected by heavy metal pollution too. The message? We have to clean up our air.
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The rise in autism levels may well be due to heavy metals from POWER PLANTS – How do mercury emissions affect pregnant mothers, the unborn and toddlers? Do the level of emissions impact autism rates? Does it matter whether a mercury-emitting source is 10 miles away from families versus 20 miles? A new study shows that the risk of autism may be greater for children who live closer to the pollution source.
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