|
Naturopathic doctors exlpore autism's link with heavy metalsby Kate Nolan Autism has come out. Once a little-known mystery disorder, it’s now a familiar one, even inspiring memorable film characters like Dustin Hoffman’s in Rain Man and Tom Hanks’ in Forrest Gump.
We now know autism-related disorders are more prevalent among boys than girls, and strike about one of every 150 kids, an estimated two million Americans. But familiar or not, autism remains a mystery disorder. Nobody knows what causes the development disorder, and scientists have created different theoretical frameworks for deciding how to treat its symptoms, which can include diminished language and social skills and various physical behaviors.
 Scientists at the Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center (SARRC) in Phoenix, a growing hub for autism research and activism, are probing behavioral and genetic solutions to autism. Meanwhile, others focus on environmental toxins as a key to the disorder— according to New Scientist magazine, a 2006 study in France linked heavy metal levels to autism.
Recent autism news comes from the second camp. Researchers at Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe have been studying autism treatments that involve purging toxic heavy metals such as lead, antimony, mercury, tin and aluminum from the body. In a recent report in the Journal of Toxicology, primary investigators Matthew Baral, N.D. and James B. Adams, Ph.D., suggest a clear link exists between autism and high levels of these heavy metals. Furthermore, they write, the amount of heavy metal in the body correlates with the severity of autism symptoms, although the researchers were unable to link results to a specific metal. Initially, they were evaluating chelation therapy, a treatment for autism in which heavy metals are chemically removed from the body.
“There is a lot of backlash on chelation from some in the medical community,” says Baral, chair of the Department of Pediatric Medicine at SCNM. “They’re saying it’s unsafe or that it’s not effective. Our intention was to see if it was effective.”
SCNM’s three-year study involved 63 children diagnosed with autism. The researchers assessed heavy metal levels by using chelation and by measuring levels of red blood cell glutathione, a naturally occurring substance that rids the body of toxins. Because chelation is approved for treating lead poisoning in children, researchers followed those protocols.
In the study, funded by the Wallace Foundation and the Autism Institute, researchers also compared each child’s heavy metal levels (before and after treatment) with assessments of their autism symptoms, which decreased with the levels of toxins.
Christopher Smith, Ph.D., vice president and research director at SARRC, welcomed the study but cautions about its interpretation.
“So much is unknown about autism that any kind of research is beneficial, but it’s important to understand that correlation does not imply causation,” says Smith, who points out that measuring severity of autism is difficult, because there’s no widespread agreement on how to do it.
“The findings spark an interest in looking at the toxic burden these children are bearing,” Baral says. “If they’re especially sensitive to toxicity, the question is why?” He speculates that some children are more susceptible to environmental insult than others and perhaps have a genetic susceptibility.
Looking ahead, Baral envisions tests to identify children who may be more susceptible to environmental assaults, possibly testing them in infancy.
“At this point we haven’t proven what’s harmful,” he says. “That’s not good enough.” The researchers are planning a broader, longer-term version of the study.
About Autism Autism is the most severe version of a group of developmental disorders called autism spectrum disorders (ASD) that often produce difficult behavior. Individuals with ASDs vary widely in their abilities. Some will always need support, and others will live independently, marry, work and raise a family. Autism disorders are four times more likely to affect boys than girls. Risk increases if a sibling has been diagnosed with autism. Diagnosis is most common by age 3.
Autism may be indicated when a child:
- Does not babble, point, or make meaningful gestures by age 1 year.
- Does not speak one word by 16 months.
- Does not combine two words by 2 years.
- Does not respond to his or her name.
- Loses language or social skills.
- Doesn’t play with toys appropriately.
- Excessively lines up toys or other objects.
- Is attached to one particular toy or object.
- Does not point or show.
If your child exhibits one or more of these behaviors, contact your child’s pediatrician and explain your concerns.
—Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center, autismcenter.org
|
