Healthbeautyidea.com | What is Autism Caused By? It is never easy to know that a child has autism. Learn everything about this disorder starting from the cause and how it can be handled can relieve the parental fear and confusion.
Autism is a developmental disturbance that arises in early young age. Autism is the most frequent condition in a constellation of related disorders familiar as autism spectrum disorder, also called ASD.
Other autism spectrum disorders such as Asperger’s syndrome and pervasive developmental disorder or PDD. Autism and other autism spectrum disorders may be hard to diagnose, because symptoms and levels of disorders ranging from mild to severe are various for each child.
What is autism caused by?
The World Health Organization (WHO) says that one in 160 children in the world has autism or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Today, the definition of autism is expanded to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) which includes several other brain development disorders, such as Asperger’s syndrome.
According to the National Institute of Health, evidence so far has found that the results of brain imaging tests for children with autism are slightly different from other children who do not have the disorder.
Imaging images of the brain of autistic children (the old designation for people with autism) show differences in several areas of the brain.
This condition may occur during the early development period in the womb.
Some experts conclude that the disorder can occur due to a gene defect (mutation).
This ultimately affects brain development as well as how brain cells relate to each other.
There are several risk factors that are suspected to be the cause of autistic children, namely:
Genetic
In some children, the cause of autism is associated with a genetic disorder. That is, genetic factors can be the cause of autism.
The presence of mutations in certain genes and genetic disorders, such as fragile x syndrome, is associated with an increased risk of a child developing autism.
Environmental factors
Environmental factors are also alleged to be the cause of autistic children. Some research suggests a link between autism and exposure to heavy metals or pesticides.
Pesticides
High pesticide exposure is also associated with autism. Some research has found that pesticides interfere with the function of genes in the central nervous system. According to Dr Alice Mao, professor of psychiatry, the chemicals in pesticides have an impact on those with autism.
Mercury
Exposure to mercury can occur as a result of eating fish, and skin whitening creams. Exposure to mercury contained in fish or whitening creams can lead to slow nerve development results. As a result, it can make the fetal IQ lower, impaired language and motor development.
To reduce their exposure, pregnant women should avoid direct exposure. It is recommended to avoid eating sharks, mackerel, and large tuna.
Lead
You can be exposed to this when traveling, using cosmetics. To avoid its exposure, it is recommended to avoid foods wrapped in clay, soil, paint-containing wraps, and pottery.
Also avoid jobs that contain lead, such as repair, repainting. You should also not use cosmetics, food additives, and certain medicines.
Family history
Families who have a child with autism spectrum disorder have an increased risk of having another child with the same disorder.
Not infrequently, parents or relatives of autistic children also have problems with their social or communication skills.
Drugs
Babies who are exposed to certain drugs while in the womb have a greater risk of developing autism. Such drugs include valproic and thalidomide. Thalidomide is an old generation drug used to treat symptoms of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy, anxiety, and insomnia.
The thalidomide drug itself in America has been banned from circulation because of the many reports of babies born with defects. However, this drug is now prescribed to treat skin disorders and cancer therapy. Meanwhile, valproic acid is a drug used for people with mood disorders and bipolar disorder.
