Monday, April 6, 2009

Autism - Fever - Stress

PhysOrg: Scientists propose new theory of autism

Evidence that autism is a chemical problem rather than a physical one includes:
The new theory stems from decades of anecdotal observations that some autistic children seem to improve when they have a fever, only to regress when the fever ebbs. A 2007 study in the journal Pediatrics took a more rigorous look at fever and autism, observing autistic children during and after fever episodes and comparing their behavior with autistic children who didn't have fevers. This study documented that autistic children experience behavior changes during fever.

...a 2008 study, published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, that found a higher incidence of autism among children whose mothers had been exposed to hurricanes and tropical storms during pregnancy. Maternal exposure to severe storms at mid-gestation resulted in the highest prevalence of autism.

And the idea of fever as therapy reminded me of how fever was used as a cancer treatment at one time.