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Nicole Fitschen

Tia Van

English 111

24 April 2018

The Causes of Autism

Researchers have come to multiple, and often times conflicting conclusions as to the

cause of Autism. The researched views on causes of autism include, but are not limited to,

environmental toxins, genetics, maternal health, and vaccinations. I will be explaining the

important impacts of each factor listed above, in order to give you a better understanding of what

possible causes of autism could be.

You may be asking why I chose to write about a topic that is so controversial. I have a

three year old niece who was diagnosed with autism six months ago. Since the day my niece was

born, every member of my family has struggled with trying to understand and connect with her

physically and emotionally. Ever since her diagnosis, I have been wanting to know more about

how this diagnosis could come about. I have learned and I feel that autism could be a significant

threat to future generations (Ratajczak 76). The Center for Disease Control and Prevention states

that Autism is increasing at an epidemic rate of one out of sixty-eight children being diagnosed

(Bhat, Acharya, Adeli, Bairy, and Adei et al 1). If you are unaware of what Autism is, it is a

complex developmental delay affecting cognitive, emotional and physical abilities, and is known

as one of the fastest growing disabilities (Bhat et al 1). With males making up 80% of the autism

population (Goldbas 63); they are five times more prone to this disorder compared to females
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(Bhat et al 1). Facts like these are what captured my interest on this topic due to my niece, beings

my niece is a rare autistic female.

Throughout a mother’s and father's life, before becoming the parent of an autistic child,

they are constantly exposed to environmental toxins. This will be the first potential cause that I

will explore. Environmental toxins are found everywhere from pesticides in our lawns,chemicals

in our water, endocrine disruptors in plastic bottles, chemical preservatives in our foods, and

particulate matter from engine exhaust. Those are only a few. There is an average of five billion

pounds of pesticides used each year, and in the United States alone we produce 80,000 different

chemicals/toxins each year. Would you believe only 1500 of those chemicals will be studied for

toxicity (Campbell 1)? Studies do suggest that one way to slow down and reduce the number of

autism cases is to lessen the exposure to environmental toxicants to both parents and the child

(5). This is where we all need to be more educated and have a better understanding of the toxins

we expose ourselves and our loved ones to.

With so much that is known about the effect toxins have on the human body, there should

be more testing done to help keep us all safe. There is only one major study that began in 2002

and is still ongoing and it is the major study trying to understand whether there is a relationship

between the use of household chemical/toxins and autism (65). Only one study to study to

regulate all those toxins and their toxicity for the entire United States? The study is called

CHARGE(Childhood Autism Risks from Genetics and Environment), it is a large, case-control,

epidemiologic investigation (65). CHARGE studies show support stating that toxic chemicals in

household products are suspected to trigger autism because the use of them have increased

dramatically over the past few decades along with autism (65). The study described toxins that
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you may be exposed to without realizing like PEGs, also know as ethoxylates and polyethylene

glycol, PEGs are found in shampoos, cosmetics and hand soaps to help create foam and help oil

mix with water. Although they are often listed in cosmetics, the US FDA does not define the

level of toxicity even after the link to birth defects. Another pollutant is Phthalates, found in

plastic, and used as a solvents in fragrances. They are a known reproductive toxin. This toxin is

found in anything that has the word “fragrance” on the ingredient label. Phthalate toxin can also

be found in some plastics and it is an ingredient in vinyl flooring as well and would you believe

that is has been linked to autism. A Swedish study provided proven links in 2009 after

researching developmental disorders and asthma (66). Who knew that what makes our house

smell the way we want and the materials that make it look the way we want could be the cause of

a neurological disorder. After discussing the studies about the exact toxins that surround us

everyday, our pollution in our homes is tested to be four times higher than the outdoor (65). This

maybe the reason why environmental toxicology factors need be taken into consideration. Could

all of these toxins be the cause of autism, and if we have known about the dangers of many

environmental toxins to children and fetuses after the lead research in the 1970s, why are we still

not being more cautious or demanding more regulation? With the environmental toxins making

their impact on the human body you must keep in mind that is only one belief to be the cause of

autism.

After the toxins potentially cause damage to both male and female reproductive systems,

we must think about what could happen while the fetus is being formed. This leads us to the

second belief of genetic factors playing a part in an autism diagnosis. Autism was originally

identified by Leo Kanner in 1943. Kanner understood autism to be biological, and determined
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that autism was to some extent inherited. Today, it is said that genetics may be linked to about

35-40% of autism.(Goldbach 64). Data from whole genome screens in multiplex families suggest

interactions of at least 10 genes that play a part in autism (Ratajczak 72). That is over half a

century ago that someone came across this correlation. With so much time gone by and research

done how can we not have a pin point on the cause of autism? Could genetics be the sole cause

of autism?

Researchers have provided multiple facts to support their genetic beliefs. The studies of

identical and fraternal twins have helped to prove this. If parents have a set of identical twins and

one is autistic, the likelihood that the other twin will have some form of autism is 90%. In return

if they are fraternal twins the likelihood that the other twin will have some form of autism is only

2 to 3% (72). Another evaluation was done for a broader phenotype that included communication

and social behaviors and it showed 60-92% in monozygotic (identical) and 0-10% in dizygotic

(fraternal). This was very eye opening to me being a fraternal twin and my twin being the father

to an autistic child. Just being a twin and potentially sharing genes, there are many basic genes

associated with autism. One example is Fragile X mental retardation gene, and the other is the

gene ​MECP2, ​that is responsible for Rett Syndrome. Fragile X gene is found on the X

chromosome and happens when DNA is repeated too many times making the gene shutdown and

stop producing the protein that is needed for normal brain development. This is the most

common identified cause of autism is genetic mutation. Genetic mutation is also the cause of

Rett syndrome. Rett syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is associated with mental

retardation, loss of communication skills,and has autistic features (72). It is also a mutation in

chromosome X, and the mutation is a defect or a structural alteration in the ​MECP2 gene.​ The
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only difference between Rett syndrome and autism is that Rett syndrome affects more females

than males. Researchers are suggesting Rett syndrome be considered a subtype of autism or an

overlapping diagnostic entity (Ratajczak 72). With all the genetic mutations that can cause

autism-like disabilities it's hard to not think genetics could not be a cause.

Maternal and paternal health is seen as another possible cause of autism. Maternal health

factors like medications/vitamins as well as things both parents have no control over like age.

While the mother is carrying her child all things are just as important due to fetuses being

vulnerable to toxins due to their inability to metabolize, detoxify, and excrete toxic agents

(Goldbas 65). Small factors like a daily multivitamin are vital. It is proven that a mother is twice

as likely to have an autistic child if she did not take vitamins before and at least the first month of

pregnancy. Mothers take many precaution for providing for a developing child they face major

challenges due to them not being able to take the needed medication for their daily mental health

well being. This could be the reason for finding the greatest risk for an autistic child. The

greatest risk is if the mother continued antidepressants during the first trimester of her

pregnancy. These risks are due to psychiatric drugs being able to cross the placenta, and the

effect of autism is caused by direct exposure to the psychoactive substance (Grabrucker 6).

People are told to consult a doctor before discontinuing medications all the time, and being a

parent's first pregnancy could also take time retaining a Obstetrician. Maternal health

importance has a wide range but the small details that you would never assume to be determining

factors are in fact crucial.

Researchers have continued their beliefs by stating most mothers of autistic children

suffer from more bacterial and viral infections along with fevers, and they often use more
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acetaminophen to treat the infections.With a infection in the first trimester and bacterial infection

in the second trimester and possibly treating both with a medication that is considered safe for

pregnancy you increase your risk of autism (Ratajczak 73). Acetaminophen overdose depletes

the liver's supplies of sulfate and glutathione, impairing its ability to detoxify and excrete

harmful substances. This could make the fetus more impaired, and if used repeatedly after birth

could make the child regress into autism (75). All of this due to the placenta serving as the

source of hematopoietic stem cells for the fetus, infection could alter the immune status of the

fetal brain and immune system in general. This could be a mother who is just trying to care for

own well being and is in fact risking her unborn baby's chance of autism

Most believe that maternal health is the main concern for a developing fetus, but what

about the factors like age? There are well-documented effects of aging on human genetic traits,

especially those that have their effects in early embryonic life (73) Age related biological factors

with increased age of the mother including hormonal factors that could change the utero

environment, cause greater risk of infertility all while being exposed to assisted reproductive

technologies. Statements that the father's role is just as important due to the factors of his age are

to be proven true as well. For the father the biological explanation is the increase of ​de novo

mutations in sperm occurring more often, perhaps affected by cumulative toxic

exposure.(Ratajczak 73). Fathers also transmit a higher number of mutations to their children

than women. This could be due to the small scale of de novo mutation accumulation in paternal

germline over time related to a father's age. Since a mother's eggs are fully developed at the time

of the mother's birth makes it less likely for mutations(Grabrucker 6).Who knew that age does in

fact affect an unborn child.

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The fourth and final topic that is believed to be the cause of autism is vaccines. So you

have it first future parents are exposed to environmental toxins, and then they conceive passing

on genetics to a fetus. Third they have Maternal and paternal health risk factors to overcome and

finally a newborn that will be exposed to an abundance of vaccines. With vaccinations helping

reduce the incidence of our past, and providing a monumental benefit to health worldwide. It is,

however, the number of vaccines and the frequency of them that are administered in the United

States to children that is being questioned (Campbell 5). Thimerosal (49% ethyl mercury) that is

an antibacterial agent present in vaccines since the 1930s has been implicated to cause autism.

Not only is every major symptom of autism documented in cases of mercury poisoning but also

biological abnormalities in autism, meaning they are very similar to the side effects of mercury

poisoning itself by show neurotransmitter irregularities (Ratajczak 70). The increased amount of

vaccines given at one time also may help implicate vaccines as a cause. In 1983 from birth to six

years old ten vaccines were given to children; this number has increased to thirty-six vaccines in

2007. Today,twenty-one doses are given in the first twelve months and there are a total of

forty-nine doses by the age six (Campbell 5). Research studies state that the immune system of

an infant at two months old is sensitive and compromised. With a compromised immune system

being challenged by so many vaccines could this cause onset of autism (Ratajczak 70). Would

the increase of vaccines that infants receive while so small and while being susceptible be the

cause of autism?

Buried in my review, I believe that every possible cause that I reviewed could have some

type of role in the development of autism. With autism perhaps it's just what poison was stronger

than the other. Whether it is because of environmental toxins, stronger genetic mutations,
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Maternal health while pregnant or vaccines after the child is born. Studies provide us with

plenty of information to understand the importance to all the possible causes. Stating in multiple

articles that there is not a single cause for autism at this time and that it may possibly be a

combination of factors (Goldbas 64).I believe the thought that it could result from more than one

cause, with different manifestations in different individuals that share common symptoms

(Ratajczak 76). Studies state a reason to discount genetics as a cause is due it now becoming an

epidemic and there is no such thing as a genetic epidemic, and to date there has not been one

single gene found to be responsible for autism (72). This brings me back to my niece. I know my

brother and my sister in law very well to know almost every fine line detail about them while

they cared for my niece while in and out of the womb.

In belief number one I talk about the environmental factors and how they affect us. We

all grew up in a very small town and lived very close to one another. I have had several friends

that lived in that same neighborhood and have had multiple children, none of which have been

diagnosed autistic. Do I still believe environmental factors that we all are exposed to daily could

help cause autism? Absolutely! I discussed genetics. I feel if autism were genetic like the facts

proved some cases to be, It would be more pronounced throughout the family generations. Not

one on either side of my nieces family has ever been diagnosed with any mental disability. I feel

as though that it would of been present somewhere. Could something of caused a genetic

mutation to happen? Possibly, but to actually be a gene that is passed on, I can't agree. As for

maternal health I don't believe it could be the main cause of autism. I remember my sister in law

telling me she couldn't eat this and that. Even going as far as restricting soda and increasing her

water intake. I know she isn't a smoker and was not inhaling those toxins. I feel like she took
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very good care of herself while she was pregnant. I have known worse maternal health providers

whose children turned out very healthy and never diagnosed with a disorder. As far as their ages,

they were in their mid twenties. I believe that to be a great age to conceive a child.Do I think

maternal and paternal health plays a role in a possible autism outcome. Certainly! We all are

humans,everyone lives completely different lifestyles, we are allowed to. That includes those

that are choosing not to vaccinate because we don't want our infants to receive them. We all need

these to keep ourselves and everyone else healthy. I do believe that introducing all of them to an

infant who is compromised may not be the best. Do I feel it is the main cause of autism. No! Due

to children every day being vaccinated and I being one of them and have had no sign of autism.

Makes it hard to believe that it could be the root of autism. After all the research studies I have

read I feel every single thing plays some percentage in the possible outcome of having an

autistic child. My niece is and always will be very dear and special to me. The research has

proved just how special. My niece is the lucky one out of the sixty eight children that statistics

have proven autism to effect.

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Works Cited

Bhat, Shreya, U. Rajendra Acharya, Hojjat Adeli, G. Muralidhar Bairy, and Amir Adeli.

“Autism: Cause Factors, Early Diagnosis and Therapies.”​Reviews in the

Neurosciences. ​Joseph Huston. De Gruyter Online. 2014. 20 April 2018.

Campbell, Andrew. “Autism: Environmental Triggers​.” Advances. ​Summer 2015​.

Volume 29.No 3. 2015. 20 April 2018.

Goldbas, Abbie. “Connections Between Prenatal Exposure to Household Toxic chemicals

and Autism​.​” ​International Journal of Childbirth Education. ​Volume 27. April

2012: 63-68. 20 April 2018.

Grabrucker, Andreas. “Environmental Factors in Autism.” ​Front.​Psychiatry 18

January2013. 20 April 2018.

Ratajczak, Helen. “Theoretical Aspects of Autism: Causes-A Review.​” Journal of

Immunotoxicology. ​2011. 20 April 2018.

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