What causes autism? It’s a question I’ve been waiting for scientists to answer for more than 15 years. Plenty of people and studies will tell you what doesn’t cause it, or tell you what increases the chances of your kid having autism. But the precise cause remains unknown.
I’m a journalist. If there is a book or a study or a story about autism, there’s a good chance I have seen it. None have given me the answers. But they have given me enough knowledge to tell you what I think may have happened. Before I do, let’s look at all the possible causes/risk factors of autism that I’ve read about.
The CDC says children born to older parents are at greater risk. Well, I was 27 when I had my son and 28 (almost 29) when I had my daughter. There is also increased risk if there were pregnancy complications or pregnancies were less than a year apart, or if the mother took certain medications or became sick during pregnancy. None of those applied to me.
There may be many different factors that make a child more likely to have an ASD, including environmental, biologic and genetic factors, according to the CDC. The agency is currently conducting one of the largest studies of the factors that put children at risk of developing autism. But get this: they only have enough funding to support studies in six states. So this huge study is only looking at 12 percent of the country. Do you see why I’m not anxiously awaiting the results?
The year my daughter was born, the rate of autism in the U.S. was 1 in 150 children. Data from 2010 had the rate at 1 in 68. While the increase has leveled off, that is still an alarming rate.
So what do I think? I think genetics, biology and the environment are all factors. First off, I have two kids on the spectrum, so that tells you something is in the genes. I think me and my kids all have very sensitive systems. We have allergies, and have all had big-time allergic reactions to things that other people can consume or be around without problems. Years ago, I pricked my hand with some weed in our backyard. I ended up in the hospital with an incredibly high fever for days. Another time, I got stung by a bee on my leg, and it got so swollen I was on crutches.
Both my kids inherited that sensitive system. Because of that, I don’t think it is out of the realm to consider the possibility that something in the environment may have contributed to their delays and disorders.
So what was it? I do not have that answer. I have my theories. We live in a modern world filled with preservatives, additives, chemicals. That is a lot for a person with a sensitive system to handle. Many times my kids have developed rashes or gotten stomach aches from eating something. I think it’s possible they could have had a severe reaction to something they came in contact with while they were babies.
Soon after my daughter was diagnosed, I paid a ridiculous amount of money for lab work that goes beyond what doctors normally look for. The results – and I still have them – showed elevated levels of aluminum, arsenic and mercury in her system. Say what?
So now, from the CDC’s own website: Exposure to mercury occurs from breathing contaminated air, ingesting contaminated water and food, and having dental and medical treatments. Mercury, at high levels, may damage the brain, kidneys and developing fetus.
Oh and here’s what I found about aluminum, from a CDC publication: The general population is primarily exposed to aluminum through the consumption of food items, although minor exposures may occur through ingestion of aluminum in drinking water and inhalation of ambient air. Aluminum found in over-the-counter medicinals, such as antacids and buffered aspirin, is used as a food additive, and is found in a number of topically applied consumer products such as antiperspirants, and first aid antibiotic and antiseptics, diaper rash and prickly heat, insect sting and bite, sunscreen and suntan, and dry skin products. ***Dialysis encephalopathy syndrome (also referred to as dialysis dementia) can result from this accumulation of aluminum in the brain. Dialysis encephalopathy is a degenerative neurological syndrome, characterized by the gradual loss of motor, speech, and cognitive functions.
My goal here, is just to provide food for thought., for those with an open mind. It’s the closemindedness of the world that has me still waiting for answers. I really think, if the government gave this issue the attention – and funding – it deserves, we would have more answers. Things that seemed – and were proclaimed healthy by the government — years ago were later found to not be healthy. Like cigarettes. I just saw an article about a judge awarding millions of dollars to people who got cancer from Talcum powder.
I’ll end this with some comments on the big fat elephant in the room.: Vaccines. I have been bashed in the past for comments I made about vaccines, so I want to make it clear. I am not anti-vaccine. I do not know that vaccines caused my children’s developmental delays. All I know is that vaccines have a lot of preservatives in them. Those preservatives are chemicals. Mercury was one of them. Some people may be sensitive to those chemicals. Babies are more sensitive than adults to many things. Giving several vaccines at once increases the amount of chemicals being injected into a body at one time.
I expect to get some negative responses. Bring it if you must. I’m just a mom, looking for answers. And without them, I have to do my own research, and draw my own conclusions.
I know what I know. And that’s all I know.
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