Rainfall autism theory suggested

[TechBear_Seattle]

Rainfall autism theory suggested

Increased rainfall, or something linked to it, may be connected to the development of autism, scientists say.

The theory is based on child health and weather records from three US states, but has been given an icy reception by UK experts.

The US study found autism rates were higher among children whose states experienced higher rainfall in their first three years.

The work appears in Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

The article continues at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7703072.stm

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. umbrella and hat manufacturers will be happy.

[dipsydoodle]

2. Coincidence

you don't get too much rain where my sister is in Perth W.Australia.

[pnwmom]

4. The research simply says that the risk is lower in dryer climes,

not that it's nonexistent.

[TechBear_Seattle]

6. The article states that it is unlikely to be the rain itself

But rather the being indoors, or a secondary effect of higher than normal rain as pnwmom said below.

[pnwmom]

3. My gut feeling is the problem is mold rather than rain.

Just a guess, but based on this: mold levels are higher in rainy places and mold is a toxin.

[Recursion]

5. Or toxins in the rain NT

[TZ]

7. thats what I was thinking

maybe a study on the areas that get acidic rain and autism rates.

[phantom power]

8. Seratonin / Seasonal Affective Disorder connection?

Maybe some effect on development in the womb?

[semillama]

9. An excellent example of correlation not equalling causation

well, maybe anyway.

It's pretty inconclusive if the correlation of rainfall has any causation effects. Like other posters and the article itself pointed out, the rainfall may result in more indoor time, and if autism is linked to environmental exposure to chemicals and mold, that could be the trigger.

I'd be interested to know more about the child diagnosed at 3 with an ASD but recovered - how is recovery defined? What types of ASDs can one recover from? I had thought, erroneously perhaps, that ASDs were lifelong.