Why boys have autism more often

I have three boys, so the fact that boys are more likely to be diagnosed with autism is a concern for me. Fortunately, they are developing fine so far, but it still puzzles me as to why boys are more likely to have the developmental disorder. The last number I heard was one in every 94 boys, but it has probably gone up by now.

FROM ABC: We know that autism is a developmental disorder of the brain, and that it impairs social interaction and communication. What causes it? Scientists aren't really sure. But new studies shed light on why a cause is difficult to pinpoint.

Several new studies reported in some leading scientific journals suggest that autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, may be the result of a complex combination of genetic abnormalities. In two of those studies researchers analyzed the genes of more than one thousand families with an autistic child.

They identified a number of new genetic disorders that can---when occuring together--- account for 5 to 8 percent of cases of ASD. In fact, they estimate up to 300 genetic abnormalities can lead to autism. But what was more striking, was that genetic abnormalities associated with boys was smaller than those in girls. This led authors to speculate that females are somehow more resistant to autism than boys, and that it takes a larger and more devastating genetic abnormality to cause autism in girls.

The reason for the disparity between the sexes remains a mystery. Reports indicate the number of genetic abnormalities associated with ASD is increasing. Authors hope more research will lead to a better understanding of their effect on the brain and to new therapies for autism.
-NewsAnchorMom Jen

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Jaundice Babies and Autism

This is pretty alarming. I would like to see more research on it.

FROM NBC: Newborn babies diagnosed with jaundice may be at greater risk for autism, according to a ten-year study of danish children. Researchers found full term infants who had jaundice were 67-percent more likely to develop autism.

The risk was higher if the mother had had other children or if she gave birth between October and March. Although jaundice affects 60-percent of babies, it clears up for most within the first week of life.

The study included information from every child born in Denmark over a 10-year period.

FROM MEDSCAPE: Jaundice in full-term newborn infants is associated with an increased risk for autism and other psychological development disorders, according to a new study.

The study, which included all children born in Denmark from 1994 to 2004, found that full-term neonates exposed to jaundice had as much as an 88% increased risk of being diagnosed with a psychological development disorder compared with unexposed neonates.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

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Possible Cause of Autism

I thought this was interesting..

FROM NBC: Some commonly-prescribed medications for pregnant women might increase the risk for autism-related disorders in children. The drugs are called "Beta 2 Adreneric Agonists. They are used to help control asthma in pregnant women or to stop pre-term labor.

Researchers from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine say there is evidence the drugs could increase the incidence of autism-spectrum disorders, cognitive problems or poor school performance in developing fetuses.

Researchers say more studies are needed to confirm the findings.. but that doctors may want to consider alternative drugs for treating pregnant women.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

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Precipitation and Autism

Now here's a connection I haven't heard!

From CNN: Could there be a correlation between rainfall and autism rates in children? That's what a new study suggests. Lead researcher and Cornell University Professor Michael Waldman says his team found that in California, Oregon and Washington, counties with a higher annual rainfall had higher autism rates in school-age children.

Their study also showed children who lived in rainy climates before the age of 3, were more prone to developing autism. Waldman says the findings suggest that autism may not be entirely genetic, as some scientists believe. He believes possible explanations could be that when rain forces children indoors, they may be deprived of vitamin D. Other scientists are dubious about the results but say more research is needed.

The study will be published in this month's issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

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