Autism Caused By Prenatal Chemical Exposure? Researchers Studying Baby Teeth Of Children To Determine Risk Factors

A group of researchers will study whether children's prenatal exposure to chemicals increases their risk of developing autism. The research will focus on the baby teeth of children who have autistic siblings or those with higher chances of developing the developmental disorder.

The researchers from the University of Washington will test children's teeth for levels of environmental chemicals that they might have been exposed to during pregnancy, a highly critical period of neurodevelopment in babies, according to a press release. Annette Estes, the director of the University of Washington Autism Center and a research professor in speech and hearing sciences, said that autism is largely caused by genetic factors.

However, it seems like "the risk of autism doesn't seem to be accounted for by genetics alone," Estes added. They believe that various environmental factors are also at play when it comes to autism, further increasing the likelihood of children with autism genetic risk to develop the disorder.

The research is headed by Philadelphia's Drexel University and will examine more than 1,700 children -- 1300 of those have siblings with autism. The remaining 400 kids are deemed as low-risk since they don't have siblings with autism.

The study will focus on examining chemicals that include heavy metals and organochlorine pesticides such as DDT and polychlorinated biphenyls, which were previously used in electrical apparatus. Polychlorinated biphenyls were banned in 1977, but the chemicals still exist in the environment and can still affect humans.

Polychlorinated biphenyls have toxic effects. It is believed to cause cancer, neurological and motor control issues, low IQ, poor short-term memory, disrupted hormone function, immune system disturbance and thyroid problems, according to Clearwater.

Aside from DDT and polychlorinated biphenyls, the study will also observe phthalates, which are used to soften plastic and vinyl and make them flexible. Phthalates are also used as solvents in cosmetics and other consumer products.

Wendy Stone, the director of the Research in Early Autism Detection and Intervention (READi) Lab, said that the study will help experts provide specialized early intervention strategies to better improve autistic children's quality of life. Early intervention programs boost young autistic kids' IQ, communication and social interaction skills, Parent Herald previously reported.

A 2009 study published in the journal Pediatrics found that early intervention programs highly benefit autistic kids younger than three. Sally Rogers, the study's co-author and a researcher at the UC Davis MIND Institute in Sacramento, California, said early intervention programs take advantage of youngsters' pliable brains that have great potential for learning, according to Autism Speaks.