It has been estimated that there are three cases of autism for every 1,000 children born, and as many as 5 to 8 per 1,000 with some variation of Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). That's up to one out of every 125 children afflicted with some degree of this somewhat perplexing and disabling problem. Autism is a severe disorder of brain function marked by problems with social contact, intelligence and language. It is characterized by an impaired ability to understand what is seen, heard and touched, which results in behavioral problems and an inability to relate to others.
The cause of autism is unknown, although there is a consensus that it occurs during fetal development, and involves one or more defective genes. These genes could be either the primary cause or could make the fetus more vulnerable to the condition when exposed to some other factor, such as a chemical imbalance, virus, chemical or even deprivation of oxygen at or near the time of birth.
Researchers out of Johns Hopkins University Medical Center, led by Dr. Richard Kelley, have developed a treatment regimen which has shown considerable promise for many autistic infants - and perhaps provide some insight into the causal origins of autism itself. Many children born with Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome (SLOS) have an array of birth defects and other abnormalities. Included in the syndrome are growth retardation, microcephaly (smaller than normal cranium and brain), cleft palate, and anomalies of the limbs and genitalia. Many also have autism- in fact, as many as 50-86%. In 1993 it was discovered that the cause of SLOS was a defective enzyme in the embryo that impairs its ability to produce cholesterol, an essential ingredient for the formation of many organs, including the brain. Research had also shown that as many as 57.5% of autistic children have low total cholesterol levels (dramatically reverse these symptoms in many children suffering from autism. The results include beginning to walk, improvement in verbalization, growth, behavior and sociability, and increased alertness. Some of these improvements have been seen within only a few days - and that is truly dramatic. It would thus seem that any child suspected of suffering from ASD should have a full battery of blood and chemical studies, including a thorough evaluation of his or her cholesterol levels. If deficient, treatment through the use of cholesterol supplementation might well be the answer.
Does this give us some insight into at least one of the causes of ASD? It would seem so. If SLOS occurs as a consequence of an inability to manufacture a sufficient supply of cholesterol during pregnancy, and if 50-86% of SLOS babies also suffer from autism, could it be that low cholesterol during pregnancy might cause ASD as well? And if the fetus derives much of this essential product from Mommy, might we eliminate a significant percentage of ASD cases by insuring that maternal cholesterol levels were not low during pregnancy? A study published in 2007 reported that women, who had a cholesterol level below 159 mg/dl during their second trimester, were at an increased risk of delivering a baby with microcephaly and/or growth retardation.
Perhaps a cure to autism might truly be waiting.
Terence Mix is a trial attorney who spent over 2 1/2 decades successfully litigating fertility drug cases on behalf of malformed babies. He is a former president of the Los Angeles Trial Lawyers Association and spent 12 years on the Board of Governors of California Trial Lawyers Association. He is a legal author and lecturer on trial techniques and strategies, including the trial of drug product cases, which was his specialty for over 30 years. He is a former biographee in Who's Who in California (1983) and Who's Who in American Law (1985). He has recently completed his award-winning nonfiction book: "THE PRICE OF OVULATION: The Truth about Fertility Drugs and Birth Defects - and a Solution to the Problem." During the course of researching the book, he has reviewed in excess of 1000 scientific papers on the subject. He has also testified in front of the FDA on the topic of fertility drugs and birth defects. http://www.terencemix.com
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