Child Autism Epidemic Firmly Linked to Environment

[Guest guest]

Child Autism Epidemic Firmly Linked to Environment

Barrie, ND

Author, medical researcher, entrepreneur

Posted: August 30, 2010 08:00 AM

Child Autism Epidemic Firmly Linked to Environment

Autism among U.S. children has reached epidemic proportion. And it's getting

worse by the year.

Since the '70's, there has been a 60-fold increase in American children with

autism. Currently one in every 100 U.S. children and one in every 58 boys are

being diagnosed with autism. That's over 2.6 percent of all male children in

America. The number of autistic children expected to reach adulthood in the next

10 years along with their caregivers will exceed the population of Rhode Island

and cost an estimated $27 billion in additional care beyond the almost $60

billion being spent on current autism-related costs. (1,2)

Under the specter of an autism epidemic sweeping America, Senator Barbara Boxer

(CA) convened hearings last week on the " State of Research on Potential

Environmental Health Factors with Autism. " (3)

The result?

Experts agree that the primary explanation for the dramatic increase in autism

is toxic environmental exposure and gene-environment interactions. New research

shows that even low-dose, multiple toxic and infectious exposures may be a key

factor to the onset of autism.

One expert, Dr. Birnbaum, Director of the National Institute of

Environmental Health, testified that " Research supported by NIEH has clearly

shown that it is not just genetics that causes neuro-developmental disorders

such as autism but rather the interplay of both genes and the environment " .

Dr. Birnbaum also stated that NIEH has uncovered information on the role that

early environmental exposures play in the development of a broad spectrum of

childhood disorders, including not only autism but also ADHD, and other learning

disorders.

Another expert, Dr. Anastas, the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency's

assistant administrator, told the subcommittee that children are especially

susceptible to the effects of chemicals in the environment because they eat,

drink and breathe in more for their body weight than adults. They absorb a

greater proportion of many chemicals in the environment than adults, and due to

hand to mouth behaviors, young children tend to have higher exposures to

contaminants, such as pollutants in the surrounding air and dust, deposited from

lead paint, tobacco smoke, cleaning products, pesticides and other chemicals.

(4,5)

We already know that prenatal and early childhood exposures to chemicals such as

methyl mercury (commonly found in fish and some vaccines), lead (in paints),

PCBs (in plastics such as baby bottles and food storage containers) and arsenic

(in the air) can affect development of the nervous system and lead to

developmental disability. (6,7,8)

Also, the developing brain and nervous system can be disrupted by much lower

levels of environmental exposures than would affect adults. (9,10,11) You can

read about the current levels of exposure in the just released CDC's National

Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals, a frightening document.

Dr. Isaac Pessah, Director of the UC Center for Children's Environmental

Health, testified that many of the molecular and cellular systems associated

with autism are the same ones that are the target of environmental chemicals

currently of concern to human health because of their widespread use. He spoke

of a critical need to identify which chemicals in the environment influence the

same biological pathways that are effected in autism. Dr. Pessah said that

limiting exposure to these chemicals is the only way to mitigate or prevent

autism in susceptible individuals.

Increasingly, evidence links even chronic, low-level exposure to industrial

pollutants to many of the most prevalent and disabling learning and behavioral

problems in children.

Professor Bruce Lanphear Ph.D, of the Child & Family Research Institute, Simon

Fraser University, reported that some of the most widely dispersed environmental

toxicants, even at very low levels are risk factors for the " new morbidities " of

childhood -- both intellectual and behavioral impairments such as autism.

Indeed, there is often no apparent threshold -- in some cases the effects appear

to be greater at the lowest levels of exposure. (12) Emerging evidence shows

that a whole host of new environmental chemicals such as Bisphenol A, (the

protective inner lining in tin cans and baby bottles) PBDEs, pesticides,

phthalates and airborne pollutants are all associated with intellectual deficits

or behavioral problems in children. (13,14,15)

Just prior to the Senate hearing, several important research papers were

published that further documented the relationship between environmental toxins

and autism:

• A study in India correlated the increased body burdens of lead and mercury

with the severity of children's autism -- the more severe the autism, the higher

concentrations of heavy metals were found in their bodies. (16)

• An exhaustive scientific literature search just completed in August shows

that the link between autism and toxic exposures in infants is supported by

current published research. (17)

My own recent study of a large autistic clinical database shows that children

with autism had elevated levels in their bodies of several chemicals known to be

neurotoxic. The children have genetic variations, which interfere with the

proper detoxification of those chemicals. With over 2,000 patients in the

database, my paper is one of the largest studies to show that environmental

factors interacting with associated genetic components may be contributing to

the causation of autism.

Development of the human nervous system begins in the womb and extends

throughout childhood. During these periods of rapid development, the brain is

vulnerable to some environmental exposures, which may have the potential to

disrupt the chemical signals that organize development. Even small changes can

have potentially major consequences for brain structure and function. Thus, even

brief adverse exposure at these vulnerable stages can have lasting effects on

brain function throughout life.

My report showed on average the amount of lead and mercury in the children's

blood was 50 percent higher than normal. Their genetic changes (SNPs) were

related to what is called Phase I and Phase II detoxification -- specifically

the CYP and GST family of genes. This defect reduced the children's ability to

remove excess toxins from their bodies.

These autistic children also had a several fold higher level of bad gut bacteria

and reduced levels of beneficial gut bacteria. Bad gut bacteria can produce

neurotoxic amines and cause a " leaky gut " which allows toxic substances to more

easily enter the circulatory system (see my previous Huffington Post entry " The

Keys to Maintaining a Healthy Gut " ).

You may read the full clinical study here:

http://personalizedmedicine.posterous.com/environmental-factors-contributing-to-\

the-ons#

We as a society have a toxic chemical addiction, which we need to kick now. We

need to be better informed consumers -- choosing chemically free foods, products

and environments, affecting change with our wallets.

Here are some Toxic Exposure Avoidance Tips for All of Us -- And Especially For

Pregnant Women. Start taking them, right now:

1. Avoid eating foods that may contain high levels of toxic chemicals

2. While fish are a good source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids, some

contain high levels of mercury. Tuna, Cod and Mahi Mahi are ones to avoid. Wild

salmon is a good healthy choice.

3. Consume organic foods and drinks as much as possible.

4. Use glass containers instead of plastic to store left over foods and

drinks.

5. Reduce our purchase of foods in cans as the can lining contains high

levels of Bisphenol A (an endocrine disrupter linked to increased rates of

cancer and abnormal behavior in children).

6. Limit exposure to toxic household chemicals, pesticides and cleaning

supplies. Look for natural alternatives.

7. Install HEPA and carbon filter air purifiers in bedrooms to insure a

healthy toxin free nights rest

.

Exposure to toxic chemicals by pregnant women, fetuses and children has a high

probability of causing autism and other neuro-developmental disorders and

learning disabilities in those whose genetic profile expresses in a reduced

ability to detoxify these chemicals. This is not " fringe " science; it's fact.

The time for action is now. We must reduce our exposure to toxic chemicals for

ourselves, for our children's sake and for future generations.

We have a responsibility to protect those who cannot protect themselves. We

cannot afford to be incurious, indifferent or uninformed when the price of

inattention is disability and heartache -- an overwhelming emotional and

financial burden to families and society.

Ask for help: Tell your government that we must lessen our exposure to these

chemicals. For the future of all Americans. Email or call your own

representatives. Senator Boxer can be reached at: senator@....

Please share your thoughts by adding a comment below.

In good health,

References

(1) Autism Society of America (ASA). 2003. Facts and statistics. Available:

www.autism-society.org/

(2) Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfate. 2005 PA Autism Census Project:

Final Report; Oct 2009

(3) US Senate Subcommittee on Environment and Public Works. Aug 2010

(4) National Research Council. 1993. Pesticides in the Diets of Infants and

Children. National Academy of Sciences Press, Washington, DC.

(5) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 2005 Guidance on selecting age

groups for monitoring and assessing childhood exposures to environmental

contaminants. National Center for Environmental Assessment, Washington, DC;

EPA/630/P-03/003F

(6) Wasserman GA, Liu X, Parvez F, Ahsan H, Factor-Litvak P, Kline J, van Geen

A, Slavkovich V, Loiacono NJ, Levy D, Cheng Z, Graziano JH. 2007. Water arsenic

exposure and intellectual function in 6-year-old children in Araihazar,

Bangladesh. Environ Health Perspect. 115(2):285-9

(7) Landrigan PJ, Whitworth RH, Baloh RW, Barthel WF, Staehling NW, Rosenblum

BF. 1975. Neuropsychological dysfunction in children with chronic low-level lead

absorption. Lancet 1:708-712

(8) Rogan WJ, Ware JH. 2003. Exposure to lead in children - how low is low

enough? N Engl J Med. 348:1515-1516

(9)(ATSDR). 2007. Toxicological profile for Lead. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department

of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service.

http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ToxProfiles/tp13-c3.pdf

(10) Grandjean P, and Landrigan PJ. 2006. Developmental neurotoxicity of

industrial chemicals. Lancet.;368(9553):2167-78.

(11) Jett DA, Kuhlmann AC, Farmer SJ, Guilarte TR.1997. Age-dependent effects of

developmental lead exposure on performance in the water maze. Pharmacol

Biochem Behav.57(1-2):271-9

(12) Canfield RL, CR, Cory-Slechta DA, C, Jusko TA, Lanphear BP.

Intellectual impairment in children with blood lead concentrations below 10

micrograms per deciliter. N Engl J Med 2003;348:1517-1526

(13) Eskenazi B, Marks AR, Bradman A, et al. Organophosphate pesticide exposure

and neurodevelopment in young Mexican-American children. Environ Health Perspect

2007;115:792-798

(14) Herbstman JB, Sjödin A, Kurzon M, et al. Prenatal exposure to PBDEs and

neuro-development. Environ Health Perspect 2010;118:712-719

(15) Braun JM, Froehlich TE, s JL, et al. Association of environmental

toxicants and conduct disorder in U.S. children: NHANES 2001-2004. Environ

Health Perspect 2008;116:956-962

(16) Priya MD. Level of Trace Elements (Copper, Zinc, Magnesium

and Selenium) and Toxic Elements (Lead and Mercury)

in the Hair and Nail of Children with Autism. Biol Trace Elem Res

DOI 10.1007/s12011-010-8766-2

(17) DeSoto MC. Sorting out the spinning of autism: heavy metals and the

question of incidence. Acta Neurobiol Exp 2010, 70: 165-176