Report reveals that one percent of US children, and growing, have autism

Saturday, March 06, 2010 by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger Editor of NaturalNews.com (See all articles...) Tags: autism, neurotoxic chemicals, health news

(NaturalNews) The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has issued a new report showing that one out of every 110 children in America today have some form of autism. With an estimated three-quarters of a million children somewhere on the autism spectrum, child advocacy group Autism Speaks is calling on the federal government to increase research efforts to combat the disease.

The report, published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report illustrates a 57-percent increase in autism cases between 2002 and 2006. A staggering 600-percent increase in the disease has occurred over the past two decades, plaguing boys more often than girls. Roughly one out of every 70 boys currently has some form of autism.

Scientists and researchers recognize that the autism rate is rising significantly and that something must be done to address the problem. A 2007 Harvard School of Public Health study notes that $35 billion is spent every year treating people who have autism and that children are the fastest growing segment of people being diagnosed with the disease.

Children are often diagnosed with autism between the ages of six and eight, an age that many believe is too late since the disease is usually observable in earlier years. As it stands, insurance companies typically do not cover autism treatment.

Autism Speaks has taken the conventional approach, urging increased funding for research at the federal level. Rather than investigate a preventive approach, advocates are begging the government to bolster funding so that children can be diagnosed earlier and receive treatment for their symptoms at an earlier age.

Comments by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger

For every child that gets diagnosed with autism, there are parents who wonder, "Did vaccines cause this?"

Rates of autism have skyrocketed in the last two decades, causing increasing numbers of parents to wonder what's behind the disturbing trend. Autism clearly has something to do with neurological problems, and it's entirely reasonable to suspect that the inflammatory chemicals used in vaccines as adjuvants may play a significant role in causing autism.

There may be other causes, too, such as exposure to pesticides, heavy metals, chemical solvents and the toxic chemicals used in personal care products. I rarely see children that aren't bathed in toxic shampoos, skin lotions, sunscreens and soaps. The antibacterial ingredient in soap is a neurotoxic chemical, and even more neurotoxins are found in the food supply.

Autism could simply be the result of a cumulative burden of neurotoxic chemicals from multiple sources: Vaccines, consumer products, foods, medicines, household cleaners and more.

Sources for this story include:
http://www.autismspeaks.org/press/cdc_autism...