Although autism was virtually unheard of prior to the 1940’s, it is now considered the fastest rising developmental disorder in the world, increasing 600% in the past 100 years. Autism currently affects at least 1 in 90 children in North America and certain ethnic groups experience autism as high as 1 in 44 children. This alarming epidemic suggests that there is something dreadfully wrong in the environment of these children.
The suffering these children and their families endure is catastrophic. In addition, the cost to care for autistic children is a substantial financial burden for their families and for our society as they become adults and cannot live independently. Some families have as many as 2-3 autistic children. There is no official protocol for the treatment of autism and therefore many parents are in search of safe effective ways to improve their child’s quality of life.
The Nature of Things hosted by David Suzuki recently aired the documentary Autism Enigma. This episode interviewed several experts who are uncovering fascinating research which suggests that altering the natural growth of gut flora (gut microbes) in a child’s GI tract, as a consequence of repeated antibiotic use, may play a significantly role in the development of autism and other conditions in our children.
A healthy GI tract is described as an ecosystem similar to a rainforest with an estimated 10,000 different species and subspecies of microbes living and interacting with each other in harmony. In an adult, the weight of these microbes is estimated at 1 kg and their population outnumbers the cells in the human body. The numbers and types of microbes that live in the gut impact our health in a big way!
The good microbes or good guys help digest the food we eat, provide nutrients and keep the bad microbes from becoming too populated. They even influence gene expression. Current research suggests that repeated courses of antibiotics to treat ear, bladder or other infections early in a child’s life, compromises the natural development of healthy gut flora as the antibiotics kill off many of the good guys in the GI tract. As a result, these children often have high populations of unhealthy microbes (bad guys) in the gut which cause inflammation, increase the likelihood of nutritional deficiencies and produce poisons that suppress the immune system and interfere with brain function and development.
Neurologist Dr. McBride believes that most children are healthy before birth but as the child passes through the birth canal of a mom who suffers with dysbiosis (too many bad guys and not enough good guys), the baby picks up an unhealthy dose of yeast and other bad microbes which subsequently suppress the babies immune system and makes the child more vulnerable to secondary infections such as ear, bladder and other infections. The child then requires repeated courses of antibiotics to deal with the continued secondary infections, and thus will suffer a continued assault on the developing gut flora.
It is exciting that we are coming closer to knowing the cause and finding a cure for autism, but it will break your heart as you watch Autism Enigma and realize that these children may be trapped in a constant state of poisoning and that their condition is preventable and treatable. These children may simply be a product of their environment.
Please pass this information on to everyone you know so that future moms will have this knowledge and be equipped to protect their children’s health. As awareness grows and moms become proactive in prevention, we will see fewer children succumbing to this devastating disorder. You are a true champion!
For more information about silent infections and dysbiosis and how they impact our health read Become a Wellness Champion book.
The Autism Enigma documentary can be viewed online at http://www.cbc.ca/natureofthings/episode/autism-enigma.html
