9 replies to this topic

[Still Waters]

abcnews.go.com said:

Obesity during pregnancy can raise the risk of autism, a developmental disorder that affects one in 88 American children, according to a new study.

The study of more than 1,000 children in California found the risk of autism and other developmental delays was 60 percent higher among those born to mothers who were obese, hypertensive or diabetic.

"The prevalence of obesity and diabetes among U.S. women of childbearing age is 34 percent and 8.7 percent, respectively," the study authors wrote in their report published today in the journal Pediatrics. "Our findings raise concerns that these maternal conditions may be associated with neurodevelopmental problems in children and therefore could have serious public health implications."

Read more...

[space11498]

Thanks a lot for the post!
If this is the reason for the origin of autism then my cousin may have been autistic because her mother or my aunt was clinically obese when she was pregnant.

[DoesntReallyLike]

This is going to first become and a push for birth control and government regulated health care and war on women etc and then prove to be a bogus study. Hear me now, believe me later!

[Lilly]

BTW, thin women can and indeed do give birth to autistic children. Being overweight somehow increases the risk factor...and they don't as of yet know how/why this is the case. It very well could be there's something happening that leads to both obesity and autism. In other words, obesity might not be causing the autism, but rather something else is causing both the obesity and the autism. We should be very careful in drawing any conclusions regarding cause based on these findings.

[ShadowSot]

There was the study that found a genetic link as well as advanced age of both parents.
  There likely are many factors, which tie into the wide spectrum of autism.

[Copasetic]

Lilly, on 09 April 2012 - 02:02 PM, said:

BTW, thin women can and indeed do give birth to autistic children. Being overweight somehow increases the risk factor...and they don't as of yet know how/why this is the case. It very well could be there's something happening that leads to both obesity and autism. In other words, obesity might not be causing the autism, but rather something else is causing both the obesity and the autism. We should be very careful in drawing any conclusions regarding cause based on these findings.

We know autism spectrum disorders are highly heritable, but there is a large environmental component as well. This component probably comes by way of state modifications (such as methylation) to DNA--in other words; epigenetics.

Its strange, just about a month ago I was thinking how little research had been done on incidence of maternal obesity and autism spectrum. Its well known that maternal obesity alters lots of things in the fetus, mostly in two ways. By way of advanced glycoslyation end products and by way of hormones that cross the placenta and act on cytoplasmic steroid receptors which alters DNA expression (like insulin for instance).

The problem with this I see is though, there really isn't evidence to show that autism incidence is actually increasing, but rather an artifact of changing DSM diagnostic indicators. The problem is there isn't an objective test for autism, its a clinical diagnosis. So over time variance in clinicians will alter the rate it is diagnosed. Interestingly, when we look at retrospective cohorts the incidence of autism spectrum remains the same in current age groups as older ones. Also interestingly, when you look at the "increase" in autism diagnoses over time you see a decrease in other similar diagnoses.

I agree that we should be careful about drawing any hard and fast conclusions based on this (especially considering I haven't read the actual research yet   ), but to me it seems to further support that environment by way of epigenetics and heritability are cause of autism spectrum disorders.

[Simbi Laveau]

http://mobile.nytime...k-of-autism.xml
Blah blah blah.

http://healthland.ti.../#ixzz1rDAEdrZ2

Was on the news here this week.
I thought this is what led to downs syndrome .

Lolz.
There will always be be these studies,to point the facts everywhere but to the truth.

Edited by Simbi Laveau, 09 April 2012 - 05:55 PM.

[DieChecker]

I did not know that obesity caused mercury in vaccines. (Sarcasm)

It is looking like this Epidemic is getting smaller and smaller all the time.

Obesity is the Epidemic here, not autism. Rates of autism have not actually changed over the last 100 years. Reference the study done in England were the percentages of the population with Autism symptoms did not change over the various age groups up to the extreme elderly.

There are certainly other factors, but I am glad that the witchdoctors who denounce modern medicine as the cause of autism are slowly being driven back into the caves where they belong.

[Fluffybunny]

Simbi Laveau, on 09 April 2012 - 05:52 PM, said:

http://mobile.nytime...k-of-autism.xml
Blah blah blah.

http://healthland.ti.../#ixzz1rDAEdrZ2

Was on the news here this week.
I thought this is what led to downs syndrome .

Lolz.
There will always be be these studies,to point the facts everywhere but to the truth.

I suppose you know the "truth"?  Enlighten us...

[Rafterman]

Simbi Laveau, on 09 April 2012 - 05:52 PM, said:

http://mobile.nytime...k-of-autism.xml
Blah blah blah.

http://healthland.ti.../#ixzz1rDAEdrZ2

Was on the news here this week.
I thought this is what led to downs syndrome .

Lolz.
There will always be be these studies,to point the facts everywhere but to the truth.

We call that science.