A new possible cause for Autism?

Here's a new possible cause of autism I got through email:

Autism May Be Caused by Thyroid Deficiency Early in Pregnancy

Prof. Gustavo C. Román MD

The cause of autism remains unknown but the increase in prevalence suggests environmental factors in its causation. There are well defined changes in the brain of patients with autism. These include prominent alterations of cortical neuronal migration and cerebellar Purkinje cells. Neuronal migration, via reelin regulation, requires the intervention of the thyroid hormone triiodothyronine (T3) produced by deiodination of thyroxine (T4) by fetal brain deiodinases. Experimental animal models have shown that transient intrauterine deficits of thyroid hormones (as brief as 3 days) result in permanent alterations of cerebral cortical architecture reminiscent of those observed in brains of patients with autism.

I have postulated that early maternal hypothyroxinemia (low T4) resulting in low T3 in the fetal brain during the period of neuronal cell migration (weeks 8–12 of pregnancy) may produce morphological brain changes leading to autism. Insufficient dietary iodine intake during pregnancy and a number of environmental antithyroid and goitrogenic agents can affect maternal thyroid function during pregnancy. A progressive decline in the levels of iodine in the US population, and in particular among women of reproductive age would increase the population at risk.

Common environmental agents that inhibit deiodinases D2 or D3 include dietary flavonoids and antithyroid environmental contaminants. Some plant isoflavonoids have profound effects on thyroid hormones and on the hypothalamus–pituitary axis. Genistein and daidzein from soy (Glycine max) inhibit thyroperoxidase that catalyzes iodination and thyroid hormone biosynthesis. Other plants with hypothyroid effects include pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) and fonio millet (Digitaria exilis); thiocyanate is found in Brassicae plants including cabbage, cauliflower, kale, rutabaga, and kohlrabi, as well as in tropical plants such as cassava, lima beans, linseed, bamboo shoots, and sweet potatoes. Tobacco smoke is also a source of thiocyanate.

Environmental contaminants interfere with thyroid function including 60% of all herbicides, in particular 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D), acetochlor, aminotriazole, amitrole, bromoxynil, pendamethalin, mancozeb, and thioureas. Other anti-thyroid agents include polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), perchlorates, mercury, and coal derivatives such as resorcinol, phthalates, and anthracenes. A leading ecological study in Texas has correlated higher rates of autism in school districts affected by large environmental releases of mercury from industrial sources. Mercury is a well known antithyroid substance causing inhibition of deiodinases and thyroid peroxidase. The current surge of autism could be related to transient maternal hypothyroxinemia resulting from dietary and/or environmental exposure to antithyroid agents. Additional multidisciplinary epidemiological studies will be required to confirm this environmental hypothesis of autism.

Speaker Biography
Prof. Gustavo C. Román MD
Dr. Román was instrumental in the development of currently used criteria for Vascular Dementia (NINDS-AIREN Criteria) and created an international Neuroepidemiology research network that to this day continues to yield data. Dr. Román received the Commendation Medal of the US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), and the Distinguished Alumnus Medal from his Alma Mater the National University of Colombia. He is Honorary Member of the neurological societies of France, Spain, Cuba, Panama, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Austrian Society of Tropical Medicine, Colombian Academy of Medicine and Society of Biological Psychiatry.

Dr. Román was elected Fellow of the American Neurological Association, American Academy of Neurology, American College of Physicians, Royal Society of Medicine (London), and Royal Society of Tropical Medicine (London). He has participated in International Affairs committees of the American Academy of Neurology and the World Federation of Neurology. Dr. Román co-organized twice the International Congress on Vascular Dementia (Geneva, 1999, Salzburg 2002) and was local co-organizer of Vas-Cog 2007 (San Antonio TX, 2007). He was until recently Editor-in-Chief of Neuroepidemiology and he serves in the editorial boards of Journal of the Neurological Sciences, Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders, Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery, Revista de Neurología, Neurología, Gaceta Médica de México and is ad-hoc reviewer for numerous medical journals. He has authored and co-authored 16 books, 35 chapters in books and more than 300 journal articles.

Dr. Román is Honorary Neuroepidemiology Professor, Universita degli Studi di Ferrara (Italy) and Honorary President of the Pan American Society of Neuroepidemiology. He served as advisor to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and is a reviewer for the Aging Systems and Geriatrics Study Section, and for the Fogarty Center of the NIH. He serves in the DHHS Subcommittee on Inclusion of Individuals with Impaired Decision-making in Research and he is Board Member, World Neurology Foundation. He was recently elected as Trustee to the board of directors of the World Federation of Neurology. Dr. Román is an internationally recognized expert in neuroepidemiology and his current areas of research include the study of environmental factors in stroke and autism.

Dr. Gustavo Román is Professor of Neurology at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, TX. Dr. Román trained in Neurology at the Salpêtrière Hospital, University of Paris, France, and at the University of Vermont, Burlington, VT. He was Interim Chairman of Neurology and Neurosurgery (1985-1988) at Texas Tech University in Lubbock and served as Chief of the Neuroepidemiology Branch (1990-1993) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
MATERIAL: Go to the Initiative website at www.ehinitiative.org and click on the button that says next teleconference. There you will find the announcement with logistical information and the presentation under “materials” to down load or follow along on your computer.

What are your thoughts on this causation?

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Women and Heart Attacks

From ABC: All too often, people think of heart disease as something that happens to the other guy. But heart disease in women, even young women, is all too real and takes a terrible toll.

Carrie Vincent is a wife, a mother and woman on a mission. On this day, she is holding her first "heartwarming party," telling a group of women the chilling details of the day she nearly lost her life. "I'm here today because 16 months ago today, I had a heart attack--a massive heart attack-- just five days after giving birth to her first child. My God, I was 31 years old. 31 year olds don't have heart attacks."

And most people don't think many women do either. Dr. Sharonne Hayes, a cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic said, "It is the number one killer of women, but they don't know it, and their health care providers don't know it." Nearly a half million women die of heart disease every year. And Hayes says women and their doctors often miss the signs. So, the Mayo Clinic, and a group called Womenheart are training an army of messengers.

The women hold parties giving survivors a look at the medical equipment that saved their lives like pacemakers and tiny stents that now open their clogged arteries. These women are also learning to use the most powerful weapon they have against heart disease--their personal stories. "I was coughing and coughing." Rosalind Taylor's heart failure was repeatedly misdiagnosed. "When I think about it, I really get mad and I don't want this to happen to another woman."

Neither does Karla Goetting, who lost 150 pounds after her diagnosis--to reduce her risk. "I'm trying to live a different life. I'm trying not to repeat the mistakes I've seen lived out before me." Telling their stories, these women say--makes them feel less like victims. "I feel like a conqueror. I can talk about it and I might even save someone's life talking about it. "

That is what Carrie Vincent is trying to do as well-- one livingroom at a time.

Does anyone have heard disease in their family? I do. Yikes! Maybe I need to go to a class!

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

WMBD Radio

My friends over at WMBD Radio are including me in their show on Wednesday morning around 8:10A.M. I just love Greg and Dan! We will be talking about the big Extreme Makeover Event happening this weekend! On Sunday, January 11th the episode featuring the Grys family from Pekin (this picture is of Jake Grys)will air on ABC. HOI 19 is doing an hour long special starting at 6p.m. that will air in Central Illinois. The Extreme Makeover Home Edition episode will air from 7p.m.-8p.m. across the country!

If you live in the area, HOI 19 is hosting a big party at the Peoria Civic Center starting at 5p.m. Everyone is welcome. A $20.00 donation to help the Grys family pay off their new mortgage is appreciated. Food will be served! I hope to see you all there!

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

The Vitamin D Debate

FROM MEDSTAR: If you're getting your Vitamin D level tested, prepare to be humbled - most of us are deficient. And the bad news doesn't end there. Bonnie Everhart has done her homework and wants to know if Vitamin D deficiency has affected her family's health history. Bonnie Everhart said,"My grandmother had a history of osteoporosis and my mother has a history of breast cancer."

It's a valid concern, as more research points to chronic health problems related to low vitamin D. Dr. Roberta Lee said,"Those populations that have Vitamin D deficiency actually have higher rates of these kinds of cancers, like breast cancer and prostate cancer." And there's more. Studies link Vitamin D to a range of conditions, from multiple sclerosis and diabetes to heart disease and high blood pressure.

Inadequate "D" can even start haunting you in the womb. Dr. Roberta Lee said,"Pregnant women who are Vitamin D deficient, especially in their late trimesters, have been shown nine years later to have children who have very low bone density."

But why are we all so low? It's partly due to geography. People in northern latitudes don't get enough sunlight to produce Vitamin D for at least a-third of the year. Add in cloud-cover, sunblock, and indoor work and you've lost many opportunities to make the sunshine vitamin. It's all the more reason to get tested.


Dr. Roberta lee said,"Ask your doctor to measure the 25 hydroxy Vitamin D level. That's the active d3 level. That's the one you want to find the answer to. If it's under the number of 20 nanograms per milliliter, then you are in a deficient zone."


While you can get Vitamin D from some foods like wild salmon and fortified milk, it isn't always enough. Dr. Roberta Lee said,"In truth, it's hard to eat enough foods if you're in a deficient state to actually make up for the loss." To bring your levels up, Dr. Lee says supplements are your best bet.


"Most of the time for an adult, somewhere between 1,000 to 2,000 international units on a daily basis of vitamin d3 is enough to have adequate replacement."But work with your doctor to boost your "D" because there's truth to the saying, "too much of a good thing." Dr. Roberta Lee said,"Vitamin D is fat soluble, so that means that it can accumulate in your body and it isn't regularly excreted, so you can become Vitamin D toxic."


That's why Bonnie's going to get hers checked. Bonnie Everhart said,"She just concluded that it's really important for us to know what my Vitamin D level, and if it's, you know, to work with it, whether I need supplements or I can cut down." A test that will shed light on the level of her sunshine vitamin.


Since Vitamin D is naturally produced by exposure to sunlight, the question is: why not just get out in the sun? If you live in a sunnier climate, 10 to 15 minutes of sun on your bare legs and arms, once a day, is probably going to give you enough u-v exposure to produce Vitamin D. but, this isn't a free pass to skip sunscreen - slather it on after your brief sun allotment is up.


FAST FACTS:
Currently, health experts say adults 19 to 50 should get 200 IU of vitamin D every day.
Vitamin D may play a role in many different conditions, like heart attacks, diabetes, multiple sclerosis and cancer.
Doctors may recommend a blood test to measure your 25-hydroxyvitamin D level.


I am sad to say I still haven't gotten the Vitamin D supplements I planned to get for my kids! I am wondering if D3 comes in a chewable form or liquid. And where in the world do I get it? Naturally Yours? Preckshots? Order it over the Internet? Not sure-but I need to find out A.S.A.P. On second thought, maybe I should get the kids tested. I have no idea how much they are getting from milk, cheese and other sources. Hmmm...

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Autism, Peanut Allergies and Cochlear Implants

This is an article I wrote for Midwestern Family Magazine. The magazine can be found at Barnes and Noble in Central Illinois. If you don't live in the area and want a copy, just send me an email! 

Three women making money by helping others!

Get ready to be inspired to do more for your kids. You are about to be introduced to three women who faced terrifying health concerns head on. Their families all got bad news about their kids, and turned to their own creativity and resourcefulness to help themselves and others. They might just be able to teach us all a few things about why moms are so irreplaceable.

Finding Solutions and helping others

It was very difficult to get a hold of mom, wife, and web editor Michelle Tjelmeland from Springfield to do this interview. When we finally did touch base, I was surprised to hear she has a crisp, easy to understand voice. I mention this because Michelle is deaf in both ears. She slowly started losing her hearing around 17 years old

Don't take "no" for an answer. Mommy instinct prevails!

Michelle’s daughter is the motivation she needed. She was pregnant with Ellie when she got to the point where she couldn’t hear at all. Then her little girl arrived three months early. Michelle immediately wanted her baby’s hearing tested. “I requested about a dozen times for her hearing to be tested. I took her to nine doctors in the area who confirmed her hearing was perfect and I was being paranoid. But I didn't quit. I knew my instincts were right.” Michelle found a retired leading expert in hearing loss. “I told him I had bought a plane ticket and he needed to see my daughter. Within two hours of testing her, he confirmed she was born profoundly deaf.” said Michelle.

Moms need to talk to other moms

Michelle was horrified thinking about her daughter going through what she had. She tried researching different options, but the Internet was still new at the time and she felt all alone. “I just wanted another mom who had a child who is deaf to talk to,” said Michelle.

Visits to the library, numerous phone calls, and several dozen doctors appointments later, Ellie and her mom both ended up getting cochlear implants in their ears.

“There are no guarantees with this surgery, you're taking a big risk.” said Michelle. There are many factors, including cost, that come into play. “Between me and my daughter, we have spent a million dollars on our ears,” said Michelle.

Ellie, now 10, and her mom are two of only about  300 people nationwide who have bilateral cochlear implants. She remembers how she felt all alone making this decision because no one else she knew was had gone through this. Michelle now calls herself and Ellie cochlear implant rock stars.

Michelle created www.iloveellie.com so others moms with deaf children would have a place to turn for answers. Michelle said, “Every time a mom calls me, I talk to them. I stop when I am in the middle of what I am doing because I know how it is. They are scared. They don’t know what to do. They ask me about my daughter and how I got through it. I make my world stop to give them a little hope and inspiration.”

Helping others helps moms heal

Michelle now answers about 150 emails a month and has counseled more than 400 families who are dealing with hearing loss.  She also created the non-profit Cochlear Implant Awareness Foundation at www.ciafonline.org. Michelle said, “We do things that you typically wouldn't find anywhere else. A lot of times the cochlear centers aren't in town. We will pay for gas cards and hotel stays. Once in awhile we will pay for batteries and accessories that come with cochlear implant devices.” She’s just one mom who took the time to figure out how she could improve her child’s life and now she helping hundreds of others.

This is no ordinary cookie maker

Bridget Lane is an energetic mom of three boys who all have autism, two of which are identical twins! Bridget said, "When my oldest son was diagnosed it was pretty overwhelming. Then my younger twins were diagnosed." Instead of feeling sorry for herself, Bridget decided she was going to do something to improve the situation. "It's almost like you have to recognize it's hard and it stinks, but at the same time, you have to put that aside and think, ‘how can I make a difference for my children and the community?’ You can do it. I am living my dream."

That's how Helping Hands Bakery was formed at www.onemomonamission.com.

"I had been making gluten-free cookies for about a year and I always wanted to be an entrepreneur." Bridget isn’t focusing on what her kids can’t do; she’s discovering what they can do. She is thinking about her kid’s future - finding work for adults with special needs is never easy and there are only a handful of employers who offer those positions. “I thought, this will give my kids a job when they're older. This will be an option for other kids with autism.”

Bridget grew up in Peoria, but now lives in Denver, Colorado. She formed the non-profit Helping Hands Bakery last August. She donates $.50 out of every large cookie and $.25 out of every small cookie, and has already raised $1400 for her local community. “I give away most of the profits. We only keep a tiny bit to keep us running.”

Bridget is determined not to let autism be an excuse for her kids to be left out.  "I want them to know they are special, but they should be included in everything.”  The family business is giving her kids the confidence they need. “We have high expectations for them. I am still going to take care of them, provide them with what they need, but they will be taught to give back to the community, "said Bridget.

No peanut butter and jelly for this family!

Imagine never being able to say, “Let’s just go out to eat.” For families with food allergies, they don’t have that choice. They have to make sure their kids don’t eat or touch something that will cause a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction.

Stephanie Kroodsma is a parent who thinks about this daily. Her four-year-old daughter Gloria is highly allergic to nuts and eggs. If she even touches something that once had nuts on it, she could go into anaphylaxis shot.  The Kroodsma family found out the severity of Gloria’s allergies when she was one-year-old and got a flu shot, which contains an egg derivative. Stephanie said, “She broke out in head to toe hives, and her airway was starting to close. We went to the emergency room where she got epinephrine shot.”

A life changing moment

“From the moment they are diagnosed you have to come home and clean out your house. We have an egg free, nut free house,” said Stephanie. She spends hours at the grocery store carefully examining the ingredients in each package. She says right now there are about 14 words that mean “this product contains eggs.” She also has to be concerned about things that were made in the same factory as products that might contain those two ingredients. Stephanie said, “The epi-pen buys you about 15 minutes to get to the emergency room. If you don't read a label carefully, it could be life threatening.”

Finding common ground

Stephanie spent the last three years trying to figure out what her daughter can eat, where she can play safely, and what is offered to help other families in the same situation.

She started PeoriaFoodAllergyParents@googlepages.com for families to have a source of support.“You get the diagnosis and you are sent home completely on your own. Most of us in the group received our education on line. That's nice, but sometimes it's better to know people in the community. You can ask them about different places that are allergy friendly.”

So far there are 27 families in the Peoria group. Stephanie says anyone in the surrounding communities is also welcome to join. It is not only a place to find allergy friendly businesses, it’s a place for parents to vent and tackle all the challenges that come with food allergies. “A lot of things are going to change. Hopefully things will be labeled better in the future,” said Stephanie. Until then, the families have each other to lean on.

You are not alone 

Michelle, Bridget, and Stephanie can teach us all a lesson on how to make the most out of any situation. They faced major family challenges but found ways to confront those challenges. They still have days where they wish their kids didn’t have special needs, but most of the time they focus on what they do have: Great kids who will become great adults because their parents didn’t give up.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Get pregnant overseas

Why are women going overseas to get pregnant? According to CNN, it's because infertility treatments are cheaper there. Twelve percent of women face infertility. I am sure if you are not one of these women, you know someone who is struggling with this. I can name four people just off the top of my head. 

I think in vitro can cost upwards of $25,000 if it works the first time! I know some couples who have tried it four or five times. Wow! So how cheap is it overseas and is it safe?

The couple who talked to CNN had to go overseas twice! They found the information on www.ivfvacation.com. The woman got pregnant and had healthy twins. They spent $24,000($12,000 for each trip.)

The risks? Some U.S. doctors say there is less of a guarantee you will be implanted with your child. IVF vacation.com says there is no risk of that. 

There is no international body that regulates infertility overseas.

Do you know anyone who has done in vitro? What do you think about having this procedure in another country?

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Bite By Bite to better health

One of our readers sent me this idea for getting my boys to eat better. She has a two bite rule. They don't have to eat their meal, they just have to try two bites of everything. She says it has really worked for her!

Hi Jen,

Did you try the 2 bite "deal" with your boys? I had my grandson yesterday to take him to an in-law family dinner and all of the kids ate in the lower level. I reminded him he was to eat at least 2 or 3 bites of everything on his plate. He brought me his empty plate and said he ate more than 2 or 3 bites because everything was so good and asked if it was all right for him to eat a chocolate cookie afterwards.

Isn't that just the greatest? Only one of the youngsters was a "problem" eater but I did note he had a larger serving(s) when his Mom dished up his plate.

I somewhat tried this with my five-year-old and it backfired. However, I was being very inconsistent. We all know it takes consistency with kids!

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Selling Your Eggs for Money

I know a lot of you are having money issues, but this is a big step! 

FROM ABC: How far would you go to pay your bills if money was tight and debts were piling up? With the economy tanking, it's a question many are facing. One answer we heard about might sound extreme to some people. But it's legal and lucrative. It's also big business, and it involves real medical risks. We're talking about young women becoming egg donors or surrogates in large part because they need the money.

The ads are everywhere: college newspapers and craigslist. I would love to give somebody a chance to have a child. I am also looking to pay part of my way through school. compensation for surrogacy would allow me to stay home full-time which otherwise would not be an option. I am a medical student, musician, and am quite athletic I am charging a significant fee. That is how thousands of women in today's tough economy earn extra cash and lots of it! They are donating their eggs!

It pays as much as 10-thousand dollars. Women who carry the baby as a surrogate mom can rake in even more: 30-grand in some cases! At 26, Courtney Smith has lots of bills to pay. She's a wine steward at a high end Manhattan restaurant but says the economy is hurting business, and as a result, her bank account. She's already cut back on eating out and cab rides, she'd get a second job but she doesn't have the energy or the time. So she plans to donate her eggs. 

She first did it two years ago when money got tight. So how much were you paid when you donated your eggs? I was paid 7 thousand dollars. How did that feel? I felt good, I mean, it feels good to have money. And I paid off a student loan Courtney provided these baby pictures so recipients can see what their child might look like. Once matched--usually with a couple unable to have their own children--donors like Courtney take hormones to stimulate ovulation.

Weeks later, the recipient gets the eggs. The donor gets the money! Deborah Spar, author of "The Baby Business," says she'd never let her daughter donate! I worry that women are deciding to sell their eggs too quickly. That they're being overly driven by the financial concerns here. Spar is concerned about the womens' health. Ovaries can be over-stimulated which she says can be dangerous. It is one woman giving birth to a child who is genetically the child of another woman. It is a sale of our most intimate product. courtney says sharing her DNA doesn't bother her -- she has no emotional connection to her **eggs**.. she says-- and she doesn't think she'll have any regrets knowing a child that's a part of her - who she'll never meet is out there. kathy benardo started a donor agency where courtney is registered. 

I don't want people to lose sight that this is a treatment for infertility. infertility is a disease, and this is one of the most effective treatments there are. courtney was recently anonymously matched with a recipient who will pay her 8-thousand dollars. the maximum recommended by the american society for reproductive medicine is 10-thousand dollars, though some recipients place private ads like this one, offering much more. benardo says the number of donor applicants at her agency has **doubled** in recent months. as the news has gotten worse and worse the interest in egg donation has increased. what gets somebody picked..? 

kb: attractiveness is number one. you have to be attractive and it's a beauty contest to a certain degree. but also education, high test scores, ability in music, in sports, things like that. most women say the money is secondary..that it's really about helping others.. courtney says those women are kidding themselves. rk: would you donate your eggs if you weren't getting paid for them? personally i don't think i would if it was for a stranger. most women who donate are under 30... when their eggs are healthiest. they can donate every three months but no more than six times altogether. courtney will keep doing it as long as she needs the money, but she does plan to save some eggs.. to have her own child one day. 

-NewsAnchorMom Jen