As humankind forges ahead into an era shaped by modern medicine, the notion of vaccinations is frequently at the heart of global discourse. This essential immunological tool serves as a bulwark against an array of diseases, curbing their progression, and occasionally obliterating them from the face of the earth.
Autism
Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder characterized by severe deficits in social interaction and communication, by an extremely limited range of activities and interests, and often by the presence of repetitive, stereotyped behaviors.
Lithium in Drinking Water: Uncovering Links to Autism Risk and Environmental Factors
A study published on April 3 in JAMA Pediatrics is thought to be the first to recognize naturally occurring lithium in drinking water as a potential environmental risk factor for autism. “Any contaminants in drinking water that could impact the developing human brain warrant serious investigation,” stated the lead author of the study, Beate Ritz, MD, PhD, a professor of neurology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and a professor of epidemiology and environmental health at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health.
Autism Prevalence on the Rise: Exploring Trends, Disparities, and Pandemic Impact on Detection
The occurrence of autism spectrum disorder in American kids increased between 2018 and 2020, sustaining a long-term pattern, as per a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released on Thursday. In 2020, it was estimated that one in 36 8-year-olds had autism, a rise from one in 44 in 2018. The prevalence was about 4 percent in boys and 1 percent in girls.
Processed foods during pregnancy increases autism risk in children
With the number of children diagnosed with autism on the rise, the need to find what causes the disorder becomes more urgent every day. UCF
ASD or autism increases in children of diabetic mothers
Risk of ASD was higher in children exposed in utero to maternal preexisting T1D, T2D and gestational diabetes diagnosed by 26 weeks compared with no
Viral infection during pregnancy may be linked to autism-like behaviors in babies
A study published in the journal Science found that activation in pregnant mice of a particular immune response, similar to what may occur with certain
Autism not linked with MMR vaccine
No association found between MMR vaccine and autism, even among children at higher risk – MMR vaccine is not found associated with an increased risk of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), revealed by researchers in a study in the JAMA, a theme issue on child health.
Thousand genes differences contribute to autism risk
Changes in scores of genes contribute to autism risk — Newfound genetic differences provide many hints at causes – Small differences in as many as a thousand genes contribute to risk for autism or autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This new study examined data on several types of rare, genetic differences in more than 14,000 DNA samples from parents, affected children, and unrelated individuals.
Autism linked to maternal exposure to agricultural pesticides
Autism – Study finds association between maternal exposure to agricultural pesticides – Pregnant women who lived in close proximity to fields and farms where chemical pesticides were applied experienced a two-thirds increased risk of having a child with autism spectrum disorder or other developmental delay.
Nasal spray of oxytocin improves brain function in children with autism
A single spray of oxytocin improves brain function in children with autism – A single dose of the hormone oxytocin, delivered via nasal spray, has been shown to enhance brain activity while processing social information in children with autism spectrum disorders.
Induced or augmented childbirth increases autism risk in childhood
Induced or augmented childbirth appears to be associated with increased risk for autism – An analysis of North Carolina birth and educational records suggests that induction (stimulating uterine contractions prior to the onset of spontaneous labor) and augmentation (increasing the strength, duration, or frequency of uterine contractions with spontaneous onset of labor) during childbirth appears to be associated with increased odds of autism diagnosis in childhood.
DNA markers in low IQ autism suggest heredity – ASD
DNA markers in low-IQ autism suggest heredity – Researchers are striving to understand the different genetic structures that underlie at least a subset of autism spectrum disorders. In cases where the genetic code is in error, did that happen anew in the patient, perhaps through mutation or copying error, or was it inherited? A new study in the American Journal of Human Genetics finds evidence that there may often be a recessive, inherited genetic contribution in autism with significant intellectual disability.