1 in 100 American Children is Autistic

World Autism Awareness Day is this week: April 2, 2010.

I just read an article entitled, The Explosion of Autism at Healthy Child, Healthy World, and was stunned to learn the harrowing statistic that 1 in 100 American children suffer from Autism. Autism affected 1 in 10,000 children in the 1980's. Is anyone else as outraged as I am? I can't understand how a developmental disability that was basically unheard of during our parent's generation is now growing at such an alarming rate without every single person demanding answers.

To date, researchers have largely been spending their time fruitlessly trying to uncover genetic causes for autism... but it is the ENVIRONMENTAL causes that need to be focused on. The article highlights the study “The Search for Autism’s Missing Piece: Autism Research Slowly Turns Its Focus to Environmental Toxicity” by Brita Belli, which spotlights environmental factors that might contribute to autism."

Here are a few of the many environmental factors that Belli believes may contribute to autism:

• mercury in vaccinations, dental amalgams, seafood and other sources,

• lead and sulfur dioxide in our air and drinking water,

• arsenic and pharmaceuticals in our drinking water,

• chemicals in plastics - phthalates, Bisphenol-A, and

• flame retardants found in homes and school.

I urge you to read this article in its entirety to gain an understanding of the link between environmental toxins and autism... including alarming information about infants and their consumption of antibiotics used to treat ear infections. We can no longer afford to go on our merry way as a society, thinking autism just happens to other people... it is happening to all of us, and we need to turn back the tide on this rising wave.

Source: The Explosion of Autism