Autism Spectrum Disorder causes and risk factors

Although genetics has commonly been associated with the development of ASD, recent studies show that the environment a fetus is exposed to is also a risk factor. A study on autism in California has shown that there has been a steady increase in the cases of autism in the state in the past thirty years (Fountain, et al. Introduction Autism Spectrum Disorder is common among children between the ages of three through seventeen. Children suffering this disorder have difficulties in interacting socially with other people. They may also have problems with communication usually taking longer to learn vocabulary. They often have a limited vocabulary of their spoken language hence find it difficult to converse properly. However, this varies from one case to another.

In some cases, the children may totally lack speech. On the other hand, their speech may also be overly literal. The other common symptoms of autism are a rigid and repetitive behavior. Such children are less averse to stimuli such as strong smell and pain. Some may also be hypersensitive to the stimuli. For example, a child may feel irritated when he/she is in a place where several conversations are taking place all at once. This may cause them to cry out and cover their ears. Historical background Although autism was first named in 1910 by Eugen Bleuler, a Swiss psychiatrist, its symptoms and treatment were described long before. Other disorders such as schizophrenia were also regarded as autism but have since been studied and distinguished from autism.

Donald Triplett was the first patient to be diagnosed with autism. His savant abilities included the ability to mentally multiply numbers and to name musical tones when played on a piano. His father described him as a socially withdrawn kid with special interests in numbers and music. Research Several types of research have been done on autism, particularly regarding its causes. Gene mutations cause endoplasmic reticulum stress (Fujita, Dai, et al. This causes trafficking disorders to the synaptic receptors such as GABA B-receptors leading to impairment of synaptic function and signal transduction. Epigenetic factors also contribute to autism. Epigenetic factors include prenatal hormones exposure. Studies have shown that males are up to five times more likely to develop autism than females.

A disruption in the balance can cause severe cognitive disorder. The human body has traces of zinc in abundance. These ions are essential in the development of brain cell. It is used in processes such as cell differentiation and division. Most vitamins also require zinc ions for their functions. This has been associated with internal bleeding I the newborn’s brain and hypoxia. Studies have shown that newborns who survive the bleeding in the brain have highly likely to develop autism. Recommendations Past studies have sought to define the pathogenesis of autism by defining the factors that are associated with autism. By studying and defining these factors, as associated with autism, causative factors can be established. Studies on the environmental factors have looked into the effect of the environment mothers are exposed to on fetal brain development.

Studies should be carried out to establish the effects of the environment on newborn children on the development of their brains and the probability of developing autism after birth. Conclusion Development of neurological disorders among children in developed countries is common. It affects about a sixth of the children. Autism Spectrum Syndrome causes children to have difficulties in communicating verbally and nonverbally. Symptoms of the disorder include repetitive behavior, being socially withdrawn and abnormal response to environmental stimuli. , Schieve, L. A. , Jamieson, D. J. , Rice, C. Autism spectrum disorder is related to endoplasmic reticulum stress induced by mutations in the synaptic cell adhesion molecule, CADM1.  Cell death & disease, 1(6), e47. Grabrucker, A. M. Environmental factors in autism. D. , Johnson-Williams, L. & Bagasra, O.