Exposure to Heavy Metals Increases Autism Risks

Exposure to toxic metals plays a major role in the development of autism, researchers who detected shocking levels of toxic metals in autistic children, say.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which starts normally by age 3, is a developmental disorder that leads to significant social, communication and behavioral changes. Nearly one in every 88 children in the United States is affected with this disorder.

Till date, no medical or blood test is available for an early diagnosis of this condition, which stays throughout a person's life. Autism starts normally by the age of 3 and is diagnosed by the age of 5. The child's behavior and development are some factors used by health practitioners to determine the disorder.

The findings of the study, published in the journal Biological Trace Element Research, are expected to bring new hope in parents of children affected with autism, as efforts have been going on from a long time to find out the exact causes that lead to this disorder. Previous studies have shown various factors, including maternal fever, use of anti-epileptic drug Valproate in pregnancy, exposure to preservative propionic acid (PA) and maternal deficiency of vitamin D, increasing the risks of autism. Apart from that, countless studies have also shown a strong link between autism and early exposure to heavy metals like lead and mercury.

For the current study, a team of researchers looked at 55 autistic children and 44 normal children. All children were aged 5.

Researchers detected high levels of toxic metals like lead (74 percent), thallium (77 percent), tin (115 percent) and tungsten (44 percent) in the urine samples, and 41 percent lead in the red blood cells of the autistic children.

With the help of three different scales of autism severity, researchers checked the link between the levels of toxic metals and autism severity. Proving the link, they found the severity of the disorder increasing with an increase in the level of several toxic metals, particularly cadmium and mercury in the body.

The findings bring concern, as high exposure to these heavy metals can affect the normal development and function of the whole body, particularly the brain.

"We hypothesize that reducing early exposure to toxic metals may help ameliorate symptoms of autism, and treatment to remove toxic metals may reduce symptoms of autism; these hypotheses need further exploration, as there is a growing body of research to support it," the authors said in a news release.

According to the background information provided in the study, another study conducted by the same author, James Adams, had shown the effectiveness of an FDA-approved medication DMSA in removing toxic metals from the body, and the treatment helping in improving some autism symptoms.