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| There might be a way to isolate genetics from environmental contributors to ASD. |
It is not yet know what causes autism, but researchers believe that a complex interaction between environmental factors and genetics are responsible for this condition. Dividing these factors can be a major challenge. But a recent study may have found a way to isolate genetics from environmental contributors to the disease, allowing researchers to focus on the link between metal levels and autism risk.
Previous studies
This new study explores a new factor that may contribute to the risk of developing ASD: the concentration of heavy metals in a child's body. There have been previous studies investigating the relationship between metals, essential nutrients and the risk of having autism, but these studies were very limited due to the imperfect means of assessing metal concentrations, authors of the new study explained.
Such studies have had to approximate the toxic metal exposure based on the metal concentration in the bloodstream. But this estimation was done after children were already diagnosed with the spectrum, rather than before.
For researchers, separating environmental factor from genetic ones in the development of autism is a challenge. Some of these studies were not able to account for a genetic factor that influenced the results.
New study
However, the method used in this new study manages to bypass many of the previous limitations. Researchers explain, by looking at naturally shed baby teeth they have access to information that goes as far back as a baby’s prenatal life. And by studying twins, researchers were able to separate genetic influences from environmental ones.
Researchers used a laser to analyze the growth ring on the babies’ teeth to determine how much metal the babies’ bodies contained before and after birth. Laser technology allowed the scientists to extract specific layers of dentine.
The scientists compared the teeth of 32 pairs of twins and studied the teeth of 12 individuals from twin brothers. They observed tooth metal concentrations and development patterns in pairs of twins in which only one had ASD, in groups in which neither of them had ASD and pairs that both had the spectrum.
It was revealed in the study, that children with ASD had much higher levels of lead throughout their development. The notable difference between lead levels in kids with the spectrum and kids without it was during the period after birth. On the other hand, zinc levels showed a more complex pattern. During prenatal period, children with the spectrum had low levels of zinc, but these levels increased to higher after birth. Manganese was found to correlate with ASD as well. Children with the spectrum seemed to have less manganese than children without autism, both pre and postnatal.
In conclusion, this recent study suggests that either prenatal exposure to heavy metals, or the body’s ability to process these metals, may influence the chances of developing autism spectrum disorder.
Get to know more about other information and studies about autism spectrum disorder checking out our blog. Find more information on our social media networks located at the end of this entry.
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| There have been previous studies investigating the relationship between toxic metals, essential nutrients, and the risk of having ASD, but these studies were limited. |
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