Autism rate on the rise, vitamin D may help

Prevalence of autism or autism spectrum disorders has increased 57 percent from 2002 to 2006, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in its Dec 18 publication of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The prevalence of autism in 2006 was one in every 110 children.

Although the method for diagnosis has improved over the years, thereby increasing the diagnosis rate, the report claims that "a true increase in the risk for children to develop ASD symptoms cannot be ruled out."

The survey of 307,790 children aged eight years was conducted in 11 sites in Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Wisconsin.

The report does not give any speculation as to what may be the cause for the increased prevalence of autism in children.

Some prior studies suggest that mercury in pediatric vaccines
may attribute to the elevated risk. But not all studies are consistent. Further recent studies have shown that the prevalence of autism has not declined, even though mercury has been taken out of most pediatric vaccines.

Many factors may affect the risk of developing autism in children, but few are confirmed to be true risk factors for the disorders that affect autistic children's lives.

One theory proposed by Dr. John Cannell, director of the Vitamin D Council, suggests that vitamin D deficiency could be at least one risk factor for autism.

Autism spectrum disorders are a group of developmental disabilities characterized by atypical behavior in socialization and communication. It has also been linked to children's IQ levels and can greatly affect their daily lives, as well as the lives of their family members.

Dr. Cannell says in his article, which was published in the Oct 2008 issue of Medical Hypotheses, that the increase in the prevalence of autism over the last 20 years corresponds with increasing medical advice to avoid the sun, leading to reduced levels of vitamin D in the blood.

The reduced levels of vitamin D may further reduce the activated vitamin D (calcitriol) levels in the brain, which needs the hormone for its development.

He wrote that "severe vitamin D deficiency during gestation dysregulates dozens of proteins involved in brain development and leads to rat pups with increased brain size and enlarged ventricles, abnormalities similar to those found in autistic children."

Dr. Cannell also listed a great deal of other evidence in his article that all suggest vitamin D is involved in the development of autism in children.

For more information on vitamin D and autism, read Vitamin D Theory of Autism.

For more information about the CDC report on the prevalence of autism in the U.S. in 2006, read U.S. Autism on the rise.

source: foodconsumer