There are several reasons why live close to a road is not desirable - turn the noise, the quality of air, the infinite flow of tourists lost in your driveway. But a new study published in Environmental Health Perspectives offers another: children who live near roads at birth had twice the risk of autism as those who live far medium.
Researchers interviewed and examined 304 children with autism and as a control, 259 typically developing children in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Sacramento metropolitan areas. Researchers found that children whose families lived in 1,000 feet of a motorway at birth - about 10% of children in the study - were twice as likely to have autism as those more living far from the motorway. (Over Time.com: Study: some autistic brain really is hard wired differently)
Link held after controlling other variables such as age of the mother, parenting and smoking. Interestingly, however, the same effect does not apply to children living near other streets heavily trafficked. Researchers theorized that the type and the considerable quantity of chemicals distributed on roads are different from those on the city, even the busiest roads.
"This study does not mean exposure to air pollution and traffic causes autism," lead author Heather Volk, researcher at the Saban Research Institute, children's Hospital Los Angeles, told the Los Angeles Times. "But it might be one of the factors that contribute to its growth." (Over Time.com: photos: a journey into the world of autism)
As noted by LAWeekly, however, another recent study, looking at clusters of autism in the Los Angeles region found that disorder rates were higher in the districts of the upper middle class where residents had higher than average levels of education or were located near major autism treatment centres (proximity of the road was not part of the equation). Probably high rates of autism were due at least in part to better monitoring - something that tends to miss in low-income communities. (Over Time.com: children 1-5 with an autistic brother show Subtle symptoms too)
There is no cure for autism, and researchers are still investigating its cause - a combination of genes and the environment. In recent years, scientists have made progress in the identification of certain changes that characterize the autistic brain, which may help to lead to earlier diagnosis. Early diagnosis can lead to turn, possibly earlier intervention and researchers believe that early treatment may mitigate autistic symptoms or perhaps in some cases prevent disorder completely.
Two weeks ago a team of neurologists of Harvard and the University of Utah has been reported to an MRI of the brain to identify autism with 92% accuracy with men and boys. And earlier this year, a study in the American Journal of Psychiatry, revealed that 20% develop normally and siblings of children with autism had language delays and problems of subtle speech - similar but milder than those common in autism - added evidence to the argument that genes play a role.
Related links:
New version of an old drug may treat autism (and too)
Using videos for babies autism diagnosis
Researchers work to improve cancer vaccines
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