Obsessing over what causes autism

[pirate1974]

Is anyone else who obsessing over what causes autism? My research indicates it's exposure to something while in the womb, so of course everything I eat, drink, and inhale (i'm talking truck fumes in NYC) i'm worry about. I am going crazy worrying that something I am putting into my body is going to change the course of the life of both me and my child. I wish we all knew what the cause was of autism because I would simply avoid that cause, but since no one knows IT COULD BE ANYTHING!

 

[cookette]

There's a reason they really dont know for sure Try to relax, worrying wont help!

 

[mrs.humphreys]

Try to relax stressing so much about it isn't going to be helping, there are ALOT more things that can happen in pregnancy that effect both you & baby that are far worse than autism, 3 of my nephews have autism & believe me they are amazing, tough courageous have there own characters clever funny none of us would change them for the world

 

[BabyHopes1974]

I could be wrong but I thought they researched it was genetic. I have gone to several workshops on it when I worked with autistic kids. Of course there are those who put out false information about it which scares people.

 

[prachipie]

this article is helpful, it does seem to be genetic but caused by a variety of genes...so very difficult to determine exactly which genes are in play. hope this helps calm your fears!

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/autism-genetic-complexity/

 

[purplecupcake]

There definitely is no use in worrying yourself about it. While autism does develop in utero, there has been no link to anything in particular that you could do or ingest that would cause it.

I am an ABA therapist and many of my clients do have siblings and parents that are also on the spectrum which does indicate a genetic component. ASD are vast and vary from unnoticeable to laypeople to very profound. At my last staff meeting we discussed that there is actually a blood test being developed that will diagnose babies with ASD and show you where on the spectrum they will be (high functioning vs low functioning) which is really great because early intervention is the best treatment. Because autism changes the way the brain is wired, when early intervention is used and the child is young, the brain is able to rewire itself. Pretty amazing stuff!

 

[MishC]

Autism is not always genetic. My daughter has Autism and we have all had genetic testing which has all come back negative. Several people including health professionals believe my daughter has autism because of what happened through labour/birth. I was given extremely high amounts of oxytocin to try and induce labour, higher doses that what is legally allowed to be used in the uk - this drug is now linked to autism. I'm just waiting for the definitive proof to come out.

It pis*es me off beyond belief that this drug can be used in such high doses!

 

[Canadianmom4]

This is a sensitive subject for me as I have an 11 year old son with autism. Doesn't change the love I have for him. In fact, my love for him is different than it is for my other kids. There is no known cause for autism. Lots of speculation on a few things. For me, I feel it's genetic. There were no drugs used during delivery and my labour was text book, easy. Would you love your child any less if they were to have autism? I wouldn't worry about things that are beyond your control.

 

[Selaphyna]

Just relax hun. I know it's hard because I'm trying not to stress about it myself. DS is 11 years old and is on the very mild end of the autism spectrum. There is no link as to why he developed it. But I worry if it's because I drank or ate or did something while I was pregnant with him. He's a very wonderful child and while in early years it was hard because I wasn't sure on how to get him on a schedule, he is now doing very well in school, and with his therapy and just overall doing very well.

TBH I hope this child doesn't have it, but if it does, at least this time around I know the signs and I also know how to handle it, at least things to help days go smoother.

 

[tinymumma]

I just wanted to say that what you read, is highly misleading. Autism is genetic sweetness xox I have a 1/4 every pregnancy for Autism and many other disabilities but trust me, you either have the genes or you don't

 

[Dolphinz4]

Please dont stress about this....autism is not a death or a lofe sentence for any child..... my 2 1/2 year old son has been red flagged for autism (not yet diagnosed) and I ask myself if it was something I did....but the truth is genetics has a big part in it.... environmental factors just trigger that gene that they already have. You will love you baby that much more, and early intervention really is the key. Its not easy, but its so satisfying as a parent. Dont stress out, if you child is meant to have autism, they will, but again, its not a death or life sentence for them

 

[squirrel.]

Try not to worry too much and just try to live, eat and be as healthy as you can without being too paranoid about things you can't really control. As many others have said already, autism is believed to be triggered by a complex interplay of genes. If you have an autistic child, you are 10% more likely to have another; this alone proves the genetic link.

My son is probably autistic. I say probably as he has just turned two and will not be diagnosed till the summer, but he is showing lots of red flags and the health professionals are all convinced he has an ASD. It is very likely he inherited this from my father, who has Aspergers. If I were being brutally honest and if I had the choice, I would wish for my son to be 'socially normal' (whatever that is!), but it isn't something that bothers me anymore. My little boy is very clever, funny, loving and inquisitive. He's gifted musically and is showing a huge aptitude for numbers, shapes and mechanics beyond his years (he is so like my dad!); his autism is what gives him these strengths, even if it has given him social drawbacks. Obviously we all want the best for our children and the easiest way for us to envisage them leading the fullest life is for them to be neurologically 'normal', but truly, autism isn't anything to be afraid of and since this all began I have come to learn and graciously accept that people with ASDs can lead the same full and happy lives that neurotypical people lead.

 

[Paloma123]

Could anyone with autistic children tell me at what age you noticed something was different and what were those things? Would 17 months be too early?

 

[squirrel.]

I spotted signs things werent' quite right from the very beginning. My son wouldn't make much eye contact. Everyone always told me newborns would gaze at you or when you breastfed them they would look at you, but my son never did this. He did look at you, but not nearly as much as a 'normal' baby. He did many things on time - smiling. laughing, babbling, crawling, walking, playing peekaboo, but he didn't do some big things like point or ever say mama/dada. He couldn't gesture (still can't very well, although he has just started pointing a month ago and he's two!) and doesn't wave even to this day. He also didn't really respond to his name until about 1.5. I had a feeling very early on; as wonderful and perfect as my son was to me, I knew there was something about him that was very different to other babies and toddlers.

Now he's older he has grown out of quite a few of the big red flags, but some major ones remain. He is so sociable now (when he knows you, he ignores strangers) and he points, tries to communicate, makes more eye contact, understands basically all simple instructions and can point to things on command (he seems to have a huge vocabulary for shapes, animals, numbers, objects, people etc. as he can point to them all when asked, but he doesn't say any yet). Musically he's very bright and has been able to hum nursery rhymes pitch-perfectly since he was 18 months or so (now he can hum about ten if you ask him), but my husband is a musician and my son is always surrounded by music, so I'm not surprised. Having said all that, he still doesn't try to talk properly (though he can copy a few sounds and says words with his mouth closed - so 'circle' (his favourite thing) becomes 'hm-hm'), still gets overwhelmed when lots of people talk to him or in crowded rooms, he doesn't interact properly with other children his age and will completely ignore strangers even if they talk directly to him. There are also days he isn't very responsive with even us.

 

[Selaphyna]

Could anyone with autistic children tell me at what age you noticed something was different and what were those things? Would 17 months be too early?

It was being noticed around 18 months old, because he wasn't speaking or speaking at the level he should have. So he got tested for hearing, and as well as speech. Started speech therapy. He wasn't tested for being autism until he was 5 years old though, mostly because his teachers in early childhood education (pre-k) thought he had ADHD. It wasn't until we moved to where we live now, that he was finally tested. He showed signs early though.

 

[CastawayBride]

I believe it has a genetic and environmental component. We have noticed where I live (in New jersey) that there are towns that have a cluster effect. I do believe they have no idea exactly what causes it but I think if a child is more genetically predisposed to it and is in an environment that can cause it there is a possibility for it. I have seen many children on the spectrum do wonderful and believe this is not something to stress over...take care of yourself and your baby and it will all work out.

 

[ChocLover]

Could anyone with autistic children tell me at what age you noticed something was different and what were those things? Would 17 months be too early?

I don't have a child with autism but I am a clinical psych .. You could notice as early as three months (poor eye contact, no real facial expressions) .. By six to 12 months that should be pointing and using gestures to communicate .. If by 12 months they aren't doing these things then it's a red flag. But it's a spectrum for a reason - people vary so much.

The genetic component is huge and it is a neurological disorder (there are differences in the brain compared to a "normal" child) but like many things the environment may play a role some of the time. Certainly the environment can exacerbate it or alleviate it.

 

[Ziggie]

Interesting article on it here

https://www.theguardian.com/society...xposed-to-more-hormones-in-the-womb?CMP=fb_gu

 

[poppy]

I have just completed a postgraduate university course on autism. There is NO conclusive proof what causes autism, just many theories. It could even be a combination of factors and may vary from person to person. Autism is a spectrum disorder with some people not showing many of the traits at all and being extremely high functioning (Aspergers Syndrome) to the other extreme with some people being non - verbal. Many studies recognise a possible genetic component, often carried in the male line (boys are four times more diagnosed than girls - although it is thought that girls may be underdiagnosed) - if one of an identical twins has autism, it is about 80 - 90% likely that the other twin will also be on the spectrum. Also, you can often see other relatives with 'traits'. There has been research into the environment of the womb (ie. the study into mercury etc) but no conclusions met.

I would avoid worryingly and just follow pregnancy guidelines as much as you can (for all its health benefits).

xxx

 

[AP]

You know im just going to be honest.

There is no point stressing about something like this in pregnancy. Enjoy it while you can. What will be will be. My first pregnancy was snatched away at 27 weeks and then 4 years later, she had an autism diagnosis too. As far as tests can tell so far, we can't find a genetic link. She does have brain damage from her prem birth, it may or may not be the reason.

For the record, autism really is just a different operating system. When Alex had her bleed they told us the "worst" outcomes. In the end, she had autism. Honestly, autism to us was nothing after expecting the worst. She is hilarious, she makes me laugh my head off. It's not the end of the world. We haven't given up our lives, we still do our own thing.

Enjoy your pregnancy. Forget what could be because you cannot change it. Life throws us some curveballs but you just get on with it. Odds are you will have a neurotypical baby!