Autism Risk Higher With Closely-Spaced Pregnancies

Just because one individual has 2 kids close together and those particular kids happen to be fine does not mean the study is incorrect. The study is not saying each and every child born close behind their older sibling is going to be autistic. It says "increased risk". One family's experience does not make or break the results of a scientific study - it is uncovering a pattern based upon large numbers of families.

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Autism occurs in about 20% of the cases reported. The symptoms are so general it is very difficult to determine if the child is simply not very intelligent and/or too lazy to learn. If autism isn't present the remaining children aren't all Rhodes scholars!!!!!

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Being 1 of 14 children, that being (6) boys and (8) girls several born less than two years apart have not shown any signs of autism. Also these same children have had 46 grandchildren and no autism, suggested or diagnosed either. Maybe the difference is the area were in?

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I disagree. Before birth control, babies were born very close together. I'm 70 years old and never heard of autism until the 80's. How about chemicals, like chlorine in disposable diapers, or in plastics, or food additives like high fructose corn syrup? These seem to me more likely causes for autism which manifests about 18 months to 2 years. Babies are healthy for the first several months of life, then become autistic.

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Whoever said "mercury" was the cause, has a point. There are many things that contain mercury that are found naturally (ie seafood) and many things that mercury or it's derivatives are added to. Read up on high fructose corn syrup people. It's been heavily added to foods for about 20 years now...coincidental that the rise in autism mirrors this addition? No. HFCS contains mercury. It is not a "natural" substance. Cornstarch has to go through a lengthy process chemically to render it the supposed "safe" sweetener that is dirt cheap in comparison to sugar. I could go on for DAYS about this subject, but I won't. Just remember: it is not the same as sugar, no matter what anyone tells you, your body doesnt recognize it and has no clue what to do with it. Read up on it!

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I think this says a lot more about California than it does Autism.

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Sounds like more hogwash for doctors to have their research printed. From when autism was first put out there to today the diagnosis is yet more cloudy than ever. I have been in the medical field for 40+ years and from what I see there is no differential diagnosis for autism. The medical field loves to put diseased or illiness in nice little sections and over the years when it does not fit then exceptions and additions are made to fit the diagnosis. This has happened in my time in the medical field and of course most doctors are influenced by the big pharmacy companies who sell the docs a load of crap. Yes some patients do a little better on the medications but I have seen kids do much better without medications. Parents need to question diagnosis of autism and understand the pros and cons of the medications given to their kids. Sorry but most physicians dealing with autism do not know much more than the lay person and I have seen lay people with a much better grasp of the disease which their child has been given. I do not believe the the article on which I am commenting on. I have seen many children which are told by docs that they are autistic when it is only a behavior issue in which the parents need to get a hold of and correct. It is a crime to have all these children on medications that are mind altering for no reason. I know of personally eight children that have been diagnoised with autism. One is a 53 year old male who is slightly retarded but is very functional. The rest are children in the age range of six to fourteen . The mother of the 53 year old took her son off all medications and he is very functional and works 48 hours a week. He does not drive but gets to where he wants to go on his bicycle, or walks when he has flat tires. and has taken public transportation when he has run away from home a few times. He is a first born as well as the others mentioned. While this indeed is a small number to compare and not a rigid study, I bet that plenty other people can have similar results. From when I was first taught about autism to what is taught today any and everything can fit into that diagnosis. Doctors need to find a diffenterial diagnosis to really be able to treat this so called disease and not be so free to overmedicate all the patients they deal with. Prove me wrong and I will eat crow. In some disorders they know no more than the average lay person. No I am not a lay person and am a professional that has a license to practice and required to renew it every two years and taking classes to keep up to date.

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Again, factors and vague possibilities. I'd like to see them look at the same information in other states and see if the correlation continued, because there could be somthing in the California environment that was a factor in causing the younger child to have autism.

That said, planning children too closely has other health risks, suh as an increase in likelihood for premature birth or low birth rate, not to mention it takes a toll on the mother.

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Wow, since when did a study become B.S. just because it did not support your own experience? It says more about California, Ha!!....Here's a true fact: Sadly it is doubtful any of us will ever find out what really causes autism in our lifetime. It seems like Autism is more common now is because 1) It was not as well known or diagnosed back in the 60's and 70's. 2) it is being overly-diagnosed now. So It may or may not actually be more prevelant....

My first-born older sister was diagnosed when she was about 5 years old back in the 70's. She was born in 1969. Sadly back then some Dr's were blaming the mothers that they did not bond with their babies "refrigerator mothers" and they also thought my sister was deaf so she had to get tested for that. She is lowest level autistic with mental retardation. Unfortunately she has no speech and wears diapers to bed. That idiot that said Autism is not a disease but a super power is a freaking moron! I'm sorry but not every autistic person is like Rain Man! And for those that say that Autistic children had parents that were on drugs are so ignorant!! I can't even comment on that.

It takes special parents to raise an autistic child. Just remember that God chose you as parents to have an Autistic child, and also chose your child to have Autism. Be glad that you are dealing with this now when it is so common and there is so much help and support out there and did not have to go through what my mother went through!

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I do not have kids, I'm 42 and I was told I have Aspergers Syndrome back in September '09. They didn't know what they were
looking at back in the 1970's. I had a few friends here and there; no one specific childhood "best friend forever". While I don't have sensory issues, I have issues when it comes to keeping a job. Fortunately, I no longer am the freak that no one wants to bother with, and I have really good friends today who I plan to keep, period. Eventually I do or say something that's very lacking in common sense (unusual for me--most of the time I am) and as a result, I get fired. Today I'm on SSDI and living with my parents. As far as being "overly focused", I have always had the oppposite problem--too easily distracted plus racing thoughts all over the place due to depression. Wellbutrin takes care of that. I've had "absence seizures" as well, both the Wellbutrin and Lamictal take care of that as well. The seizures are so mild that someone else can't tell the difference between that and drifting off thinking of something else!! It's taken me a year to finally read about it without tearing up. I volunteer some and sing in a choir; that helps me as well.

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I'll prove you wrong. A differential diagnosis is a list of possible diagnoses in a certain situation. A diagnosis is chosen based on a careful analysis of the patient's history, physical findings, laboratory tests, and in cases such as this, family history, genetic testing, behavioral questionaires, and careful observation of the patient by professionals. All information is then assimilated and a diagnosis is reached if possible from the differential. Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorder are very real diagnoses and can be found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). That said, the diagnosis conveys a huge spectrum of severity and individual variances, or idiosyncracies. Some of the symptoms of these disorders can be managed with medication, even if the disorder itself is not curable. By the way, where did you attend medical school?

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I have a daughter who has Asperger's Syndrome this is now placed in the Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Everytime an article, piece of research or speculation of this disorder comes out, I read it. Not that I need to blame someone, including myself or something for what has caused this within my daughter but to learn how to help her adjust, cope and grow.

Currently she is on 2 seperate medications for the mental & emotional effects that AS has on her; ADHD, tempramental and ticks. Therapy is used for the aspects of Sensory Intragration Dysfunction; touching (socks & underpants), smells, tastes, sounds; all associated with ASD. There is constant need of monitoring her diet, sleep, social interaction and everyday functional skills.

Autism is real. There is a huge spectrum of severity from low to high functioning individuals, individual variances of their intelligence levels ('smart in one subject but not another), verbal development and the broad range of idiosyncracies. This is a complex, time consuming and perplexing disorder.

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