Alpha Centauri 2

Community => Recreation Commons => Our researchers have made a breakthrough! => Topic started by: Buster's Uncle on March 27, 2014, 09:19:05 pm

Title: As many as one in 68 U.S. kids may have autism: CDC
Post by: Buster's Uncle on March 27, 2014, 09:19:05 pm

As many as one in 68 U.S. kids may have autism: CDC
Reuters
By Julie Steenhuysen  3 hours ago



CHICAGO (Reuters) - As many as one in 68 U.S. children may have autism, U.S. health officials said on Thursday, a sharp increase over an estimate of 1 in 88 children just two years ago that raises questions about why the number has risen so dramatically.

Researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted in their report that the data, gleaned from a study of children in 11 communities, could not be generalized to the national population.

They also did not study why the rates were so much higher, but there are some clues. In the latest report, almost half of children identified as having autism also had average or above-average IQ levels, compared with just a third of children a decade ago.

"It could be doctors are getting better at identifying these children; it could be there is a growing number of children with autism at higher intellectual ability, or it may be a combination of better recognition and increased prevalence," Coleen Boyle, director of the CDC's National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, said in a conference call.

Some experts believe the higher rates reflect a heightened focus on autism by parents, doctors and teachers that may be resulting in more children being diagnosed with the disorder.

In its latest report, the CDC studied medical, school and other records of 8-year-olds within 11 U.S. communities to determine whether a child had autism.

There were significantly different rates by region, ranging from 1 in 175 children in Alabama to 1 in 45 children in New Jersey, which could reflect access to healthcare and other factors.

The current study looked at fewer sites than the data reported in 2012, which included 14 communities, but the CDC said it did not change the criteria used to diagnose autism.

In this latest report, which looks at data from 2010, the researchers found 14.7 per 1,000 eight-year-olds had autism, compared with the previous estimate of 11.3 per 1,000 eight year olds in its 2012 estimate, which used data from 2008.

The CDC said the latest data continue to show that autism is almost five times more common among boys than girls, affecting 1 in 42 boys versus 1 in 189 girls.

White children are more likely to be identified as having autism spectrum disorder than are black or Hispanic children

Dr Melissa Nishawala, medical director of the Autism Spectrum Disorders Clinical and Research Program at New York University's School of Medicine, said the new numbers do not necessarily mean that the incidence of autism in the United States is rising.

"I think the bulk of these increases are the way we define autism and the way we look for cases and how good we are at finding cases," she said.

Nishawala said news reports about high rates of autism are increasing awareness, and the latest numbers from the CDC will likely mean even more people look for signs in children.


http://news.yahoo.com/many-1-68-u-kids-may-autism-cdc-170154528--sector.html (http://news.yahoo.com/many-1-68-u-kids-may-autism-cdc-170154528--sector.html)

Title: Re: As many as one in 68 U.S. kids may have autism: CDC
Post by: gwillybj on March 28, 2014, 03:55:52 am

I wonder how much the physical environment both outside the womb and inside factors into the odds.

Title: Autism may be tied to flawed prenatal brain growth
Post by: Buster's Uncle on March 28, 2014, 03:56:15 am

Autism may be tied to flawed prenatal brain growth
Associated Press
By LINDSEY TANNER  12 hours ago


     
A small study that examined the brains of children who died found that certain abnormalities were common in autistic children but not in kids without the disorder. The research bolsters evidence that something before birth might cause autism, at least in some cases.

The clusters of disorganized brain cells were discovered in tissue samples from brain regions important for regulating social functioning, emotions and communication — which can all be troublesome for children with autism.

The structural defects were found in 10 of 11 children with autism, but in only one of 11 children without the disease. The children's brains were donated to science after death; causes of death included drowning, accidents, asthma and heart problems.

The authors said the defects, detected with sophisticated lab tests, likely occurred during the second or third trimesters of pregnancy.

"Because this points to the biological onset in prenatal life, it calls sharply into question other popular notions about autism," including the scientifically debunked theory that childhood vaccines might be involved, said lead author Eric Courchesne, an autism researcher at the University of California, San Diego.

Experts not involved in the latest study called the results preliminary and said larger studies are needed to determine if the defects are truly common in autism or even in people without the disorder. What causes defects isn't known, Courchesne said, adding, "It could be gene mutations and environmental factors together."

Scientists generally believe that genetics is one of the factors contributing to autism. Previous research has suggested these factors might include infections during pregnancy, pre-term birth, and fathers' older age at conception.

The study was published in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine.

Other scientists have suggested that autism may be linked with abnormalities in the brain's frontal region, and that for at least some children, problems begin before birth, said Dr. Janet Lainhart, an autism researcher and psychiatry professor at the University of Wisconsin.

"But this research provides probably some of the most elegant evidence for those two very important biological themes," she said.

The study follows Courchesne-led research suggesting that abnormal gene activity leads to an excessive number of brain cells in the brain's prefrontal cortex, located behind the forehead. The same region and adjacent areas of the brain were implicated in the new study.

His studies suggest that in children later diagnosed with autism, genetic networks that regulate prenatal brain cell growth are faulty. Larger studies are needed to determine how common the abnormalities are and what might be the cause.

"These abnormalities are not trivial," Courchesne said. "These are fundamental to developing a human brain."

The new study involved children aged 2 to 15. Most previous autism brain studies involved samples taken from autopsies of adults.

Dr. Thomas Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health, said the authors used advanced methods to examine cellular and molecular markers in more detail than previous research. But he said the study "highlights the critical need" for autopsy brain tissue to gain a better understanding of autism.

"If there really is this disorganized cortical architecture" in autism, it would develop before birth, said Insel. His government agency helped pay for the research.

About 1 in 88 children in the U.S. have one of the autistic spectrum disorders, which include classic autism and a mild form, Asperger syndrome.

Researchers from the Allen Institute for Brain Science in Seattle also participated in the study. In addition to the National Institute of Mental Health, grants from the Allen institute, private foundations and the advocacy group Autism Speaks helped pay for the research.

___

Online:

Medical journal: http://www.nejm.org (http://www.nejm.org)

Autism: http://http://tinyurl.com/32wt3b (http://http://tinyurl.com/32wt3b)


http://news.yahoo.com/autism-may-tied-flawed-prenatal-brain-growth-212009245.html (http://news.yahoo.com/autism-may-tied-flawed-prenatal-brain-growth-212009245.html)

Title: Re: As many as one in 68 U.S. kids may have autism: CDC
Post by: Buster's Uncle on March 28, 2014, 03:57:30 am

Quote from: gwillybj on March 28, 2014, 03:55:52 am

I wonder how much the physical environment both outside the womb and inside factors into the odds.

Good question.

Title: 1 in 68 US Kids Has Autism Spectrum Disorder
Post by: Buster's Uncle on March 28, 2014, 08:24:28 pm

1 in 68 US Kids Has Autism Spectrum Disorder
LiveScience.com
By Bahar Gholipour, Staff Writer  March 27, 2014 3:02 PM



Up to 1.5 percent, or one in 68 U.S. children on average, may have autism, according to new estimates released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

This new estimate means that about 30 percent more children may have autism spectrum disorders (ASD) than previously thought. A 2012 report from the CDC estimated that one in 88 children have the condition.

The new report also found that more children with autism may have a high IQ than previously thought. Although some children with the condition have severe intellectual challenges, the new report estimates that about 46 percent of children with autism have average or above average intellectual ability (an IQ above 85), compared with the estimate of one-third of children with autism a decade ago.

For the report, researchers reviewed records from the CDC's Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network. They pulled data from 11 community centers where children with developmental disabilities are educated, diagnosed or treated.

The sample of children used in this report is not nationally representative, and the results may not generalize to the entire United States. However it is the most detailed picture, and the best estimate available, the researchers said.

The results showed a wide range in the number of children diagnosed with ASD based on their location, ranging from one in 175 children in Alabama to one in 45 children in New Jersey.  This difference is partly explained by the way data was gathered, for example, in Alabama, researchers had limited access to children's educational record.

In line with previous studies, the data continue to show that autism is almost five times more common among boys than girls:  one in 42 boys have autism, compared to one in 189 girls. White children are 30 percent more likely to be diagnosed with autism than black or Hispanic children.

It is unclear exactly how much of the rise in diagnoses is due to increased awareness of the disorder, and how much is due to a true increase in prevalence, researchers said. It could be a combination of both, they said.

"Community leaders, health professionals, educators and childcare providers should use these data to ensure children with ASD are identified as early as possible and connected to the services they need," said Coleen Boyle, director of CDC’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities.

Researchers found most children were diagnosed after age 4. The condition can be diagnosed as early as age 2, and children can be enrolled in early intervention services, the researchers said.

"Early identification is the most powerful tool we have right now to make a difference in the lives of children with autism," Boyle said.

Autism spectrum disorders are characterized by deficits in social communication and social interaction and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities.

"The most important thing for parents to do is to act early when there is a concern about a child’s development," said Dr. Marshalyn Yeargin-Allsopp, chief of CDC’s Developmental Disabilities Branch. "If you have a concern about how your child plays, learns, speaks, acts, or moves, take action. Don’t wait."


http://news.yahoo.com/1-68-us-kids-autism-spectrum-disorder-190216312.html (http://news.yahoo.com/1-68-us-kids-autism-spectrum-disorder-190216312.html)