Dear Readers,
I wanted to give a quick follow-up to last week’s post about the cause of autism. Many of you responded here and on Facebook with comments and questions. Thank you for contributing to the discussion.
This is indeed a complex, highly-charged issue. While we still don’t fully understand the full cause or complete treatment of the illness, I feel that it is important to stay abreast of the scientific research on it.
The most important finding in the latest article is that it elucidates that brain changes consistent with autism begin in utero. Many parents, physicians, and researchers have believed that autism is related to the ingestion of certain foods, food substances, or immunizations after a child is born. This study is the first of its kind to say that, in fact, autism begins before birth. That point is very important.
That doesn’t mean that autism can’t be exacerbated by other factors like foods, medicines, or food substances, etc. As we move forward, I encourage all who are passionate about this topic to be keen about looking at the scientific validity and soundness of all research. The good thing about this latest article is that it was published in a peer-reviewed journal and as such, it has passed the test of stringent criticism by many researchers.