What Causes Autism - Possible Factors and Triggers

It seems like more and more children are getting diagnosed with autism.

What causes autism and is there anything that can be done to prevent it from occurring in the first place?

The fact is, the causes of autism is a highly controversial topic because no one really knows for sure what causes it. Although it is generally thought that autism is caused by abnormalities that exist in the brain structure or function, as far as what causes those abnormalities to begin with is debatable.

One popular theory regarding what causes autism is that some vaccines cause autism. Why? Because research has shown that children with autism have difficulty ridding their bodies of heavy metals such as mercury. When these toxins are able to build up, they can cause problems in development and to the nervous system.

Some vaccines used to use a preservative called thimerosal, which is mercury-based. An argument exists that this vaccine, and the use of it, puts mercury into the system that the child is then unable to get rid of. Thimerosal was only used between 1980 and 2003, however.

It has since been discontinued, although autism is still on the rise and there have not been any significant changes in the number of new cases.

Another popular theory regarding what causes autism is that the MMR vaccination (Mumps-Measles-Rubella) can cause intestinal problems in the child, which can then lead to autism. The child in question, however, would have to have a predisposition to gastrointestinal problems first.

The theory is that the child would have gastrointestinal issues, suffer from tissue damage, have their immune system start weakening, and then experience autoimmune reactions. If this theory is correct, then the autoimmune reactions would be the catalyst for the autism to develop, contributing to what causes autism.

Almost all of the mainstream health organizations claim that there is no connection between the vaccinations and autism, however. Still, many parents are choosing to delay their child's vaccinations.

Some researchers believe that genetics cause autism - this is another possible aspect of what causes autism. In a lot of families with autistic children, there seems to be either a pattern of autism, or of other disabilities that are related.

There hasn't been an "autism gene" located yet, but researchers are looking for segments of the genetic code that might be irregular to identify children that could have inherited autism. A possibility exists as well that some children have a cluster of genes that are unbalanced, which might impede brain development under some conditions.

On the other hand, some researchers are exploring the possibility of problems that occur during pregnancy and delivery being the culprit in producing children born with autism. Research has gone into studying such things as exposure to environmental chemicals, viral infections, and metabolic imbalances. Some viral infections that have been linked to autism include rubella and cytomegalovirus. Gestational diabetes also appears to increase the risk of the child developing autism as well.

So, as you can see, there are many possible contributing areas to what causes autism. And there is more.

One study that has been conducted has researched the connection between terbutaline, a drug used to stop pre-term labor, and autism. The findings showed that the drug does appear to exhibit a link with an increased likelihood of autism when concerning twins or multiple births.

There has also been a recent hypothesis on whether or not a child's hygiene can increase the likelihood of developing autism. If this theory is correct, then a child with no exposure to parasites or microbes has a higher risk of developing autism than one that is exposed to such things.

In other words, the more controlled a child's environment is when it comes to illnesses and the more sustained a child is, the more likely that he or she can't fight off maladies which could increase his or her chances of developing serious medical conditions. This hypothesis has not been tested, however, and we cannot be sure if this factor is indeed part of what causes autism.

Although a definite cause has not been ascertained when it comes to autism, there are various treatments available that can help when it comes to assisting the child in functioning in society. Research continues to try to find not only the smoking gun as far as autism is concerned, but the cure that might exist, too.

Having read about factors which contribute to what causes autism, you can learn more about this condition by also reading the other related autism articles and pages.

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