Autistic Daily

Alexander Tundakov on Flickr

Breast feeding has been linked to many benefits for both baby and child, so it sounds surprising that anyone would link it to an increase in autism for the child.

The problem, is not with breastfeeding, however, but with toxins that leak into breast milk from the environment, such as PCBs.

This risk is no reason to break out the bottle, says Dr. Chung Wong at autisable.com.

“What we have to remember is that this study was on rats and while it is important to encourage research into the harmful toxins in our environment, and their affect on our babies’ brains and development, the benefits of breastfeeding far outweigh this unproven link to autism. Plus a survey carried out in 2006 – “Breastfeeding, infant formula supplementation, and Autistic Disorder: the results of a parent survey” by Stephen T Schultz et al. concluded that:

“The results of this preliminary study indicate that children who were not breastfed or were fed infant formula without docosahexaenoic acid/arachidonic acid supplementation were significantly more likely to have autistic disorder.”

“Breast is still definitely best.”

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The mystery between Autism and Celiac disease is unraveling more each day.

Some parents have reported their autistic children improve after switching to a gluten-free diet, something which individuals who suffer from Celiac must do.

Now, a Canadian boy’s story of being “cured” from autism after treating his Celiac disease has been brought to media attention.

In the boy’s case, he never had autism to begin with.

Can more cases of “autism” be cured by aggressively diagnosing and treating Celiac disease? Should Celiac screening be recommending in families with histories of autism?

Watch the two video clips above to learn more about the link between Celiac disease and autism symptoms.

via Philadelphia Gluten-Free Examiner

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Svadilfari on Flickr

The parent of an autistic or Asperger’s child may have it easier when it comes to drawing up the grocery list every week, as many children on the spectrum have very restrictive food preferences.

But this predictable palate may lead to nutritional deficiencies that parents may need to be on the lookout for.

Research at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies meeting in Baltimore in May found children on the spectrum could benefit from increasing variety in their diets.

Using what they called a “food variety score,” the research team found children with autism not only had lesser degrees of food variety than normal children, they also suffered from nutritional deficiencies.

The researchers recommended screening children for food variety, as this could be a clinical marker for problems later on in development.

“Children with low food variety scores who are at risk could then be referred to dieticians or therapists to help them expand food choices and improve nutrition,” said Michelle Zimmer, MD, lead investigator and a pediatrician in the division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at Cincinnati Children’s.

via theautismnews.com

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whatsername? on Flickr

A study published online in the journal of Pediatrics reveals a family history of autoimmune disease may increase the risk of autism spectrum disorders and infantile autism in children.

The autoimmune diseases included Type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and Celiac disease.

With Celiac disease, a person cannot tolerate gluten and eating foods containing such protein causes damage to the intestines. Therefore, Celiacs follow gluten-free diets.

Ironically, gluten-free diets have been shown to produce some improvements in symptoms when followed by children with autism.

Could research to eliminate or lessen the severity of this autoimmune disease lead to a lower incidence of or less severe forms of autism?

“The observed associations between familial autoimmunity and autism spectrum disorders/infantile autism are probably attributable to a combination of a common genetic background and a possible prenatal antibody exposure or alteration in fetal environment during pregnancy,” the authors concluded.

via modernmedicine.com

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Geoff604 on Flickr

The international conference on Autism, Autism One, took place in Chicago, Illinois last week and a highlight of the event was the discussion as to whether or not dietary changes can improve symptoms.

“We know that kids with autism have nutrient deficiencies,” said San Francisco-based nutritionist Julie Matthews, a certified nutrition consultant and author of Nourishing Hope for Autism.

Most of us nowadays realize that many ailments are brought on by either neglecting nutrition or indulging in foods with little to no nutritional value (ah, if only cupcakes cured the common cold without the five pound weight gain).

Besides the neurological complexities autism brings, many children also suffer from gastrointestinal problems like diarrhea, constipation, bloating, and gas.

Popular diets for autism children often exclude casein (dairy) and wheat (gluten), but Matthews also recommends removing soy, which she says blocks the absorption of calcium, magnesium, and and zinc.

In addition, she recommends adding probiotics to a child’s diet.

Have  you noticed a change in your child’s behavior after incorporating or removing certain foods from his or her diet?

Source: news.medill.northwestern.edu

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