This is a question that has been on the minds of concerned parents and the medical community for a very long time. Some insist ASD is purely genetic. There is definitely a history of autism in my family. My nephew was diagnosed when he was three. By today’s standards, he would be considered Level 2-3. (There are also suspicions that my mother, my sister and I are also on the spectrum, but none of us have been “officially” diagnosed.) Others blame external factors – like vaccines (though this theory has been debunked), or the use of acetaminophen (Tylenol) during pregnancy. (Also debunked.)
The National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) posits that environmental risk factors may play a role – factors such as:
• Advanced parental age at time of conception
• Prenatal exposure to air pollution or certain pesticides
• Maternal obesity, diabetes, or immune system disorders
• Extreme prematurity or very low birth weight
• Any birth difficulty leading to periods of oxygen deprivation to the baby’s brain
But the NIEHS points out that “these factors alone are unlikely to cause autism. Rather, they appear to increase a child’s risk for developing autism when combined with genetic factors.”
In 2013, The National Institutes of Health reported a possible correlation between infant formula and ASD. Upon learning this, my stomach dropped. The report hit too close to home.
Seth was born at 3:00 in the morning at the end of July, 2004, via cesarean section, and for most of that hot summer day, he was awake, alert and curious. A newborn’s eyes don’t focus very well, but Seth didn’t let that stop him from looking at everything and everyone. He seemed content and fussed very little. That evening, one of the nurses asked if he’d had a wet diaper yet. I knew he’d passed meconium (baby’s first poop) early in the morning, but since I was exhausted and in pain after going through 24 hours of labor and an emergency C-section, friends and family had been taking care of diaper duty, and they didn’t give me a report. Unfortunately, I didn’t think to mention that and just said I wasn’t sure.
She sternly responded that he had jaundice, which is caused by breastfeeding. (It isn’t.) And that he was dehydrated. (He wasn’t.) She told me that unless Seth produced a soaking wet diaper in the next half hour, I would have no choice but to supplement with formula. I had planned to breastfeed exclusively and use artificial nipples sparingly, so I protested. She summoned the on-call pediatrician. When he arrived, he warned me that unless I followed their orders, he would put Seth in the NICU and report me to Child Protective Services.
Having been bullied for most of my life, I froze, but then caved in to the pressure.
Shortly after Seth drank some of the formula, he started shrieking and spitting up. I was alarmed. The pediatrician suggested we switch to soy. Same reaction. Then he recommended a more expensive “hypoallergenic” formula for babies with sensitive stomachs. No difference. Seth screeched every time I fed him. His overall temperament changed drastically. He became reactive and difficult to soothe, and he stayed that way for a long time – and not just while he was being fed.
I always wondered if Seth’s violent reaction to the formula had anything to do with him developing autism. The NIH proves that I’m not COMPLETELY crazy to consider that possibility. Only a bit around the edges.
All kidding aside, the jury is still out on exactly what causes autism, but I think it’s safe to say that both genetic and environmental factors play a role. According to the NIEHS, “A growing area of research focuses on interaction of genetic and environmental factors.” In my completely non-professional opinion, that makes the most sense.
Ultimately, though, what is most important is loving and supporting your child just the way they are. I love the way Seth thinks. I have learned more about the human condition from Seth in all his “Seth-ness” than from anyone else I have ever known, and I wouldn’t change a thing, even if I could.
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