In 2000, 1 in 150 children were placed on the autistic spectrum. In 2014, this number has jumped to 1 in 59 (1). A number of factors could have contributed to this increase: better healthcare which leads to more recognition of the symptoms, pediatricians have expanded the criteria to be considered autistic, or the average age at which parents have their first child, just to name a few. But is this the whole picture?
There is a growing body of evidence that points to the idea that several EDC's are yet another contributor to increasing rates of autism. Specifically, the genes that make a person autistic are "selectively targeted" by these EDC's. If a pregnant mother is exposed to more of these EDC's than usual, then there is a possibility that more of these "autism susceptibility genes" (ASG's) will be activated (2,3). This makes sense, given the role of the endocrine system. In order to have a healthy child, trillions of chemical reactions in utero need to occur. If the hormones that dictate these chemical reactions are disrupted in some way, a cascading effect of incorrect chemical reactions can occur. This may lead to developmental issues. It is important to note that more research, specifically larger sample sizes, needs to be done to fully establish these links. We've mapped the human genome, but these links are nonetheless incredibly difficult to establish. Luckily, a large, comprehensive study on the various effects of the environment on children is currently in the works. To learn more about this project, click here.
Changing your exposure to EDC's is something that you can actually control (for the most part). You can't change the methods or criteria that doctors use to diagnose autism. Therefore, if you want to lower your child's risk of developing autism, stay away from EDC's as much as possible. Unfortunately, autism is only one noncommunicable disease that is becoming more and more prevalent. The causes of these diseases are complex. Nevertheless, we highly recommend that you take caution with your exposure to harmful chemicals; it can't hurt.