Re: NIEHS Autism Increase Not Due to Better Diagnosis

[Guest guest]

Note: " The researchers found four environmental factors associated with autism:

vinyl flooring, the mother's smoking, family economic problems and condensation

on windows, which indicates poor ventilation. "  

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=link-between-autism-and-vinyl

March 31, 2009

Scientists Find 'Baffling' Link between Autism and Vinyl Flooring

Swedish children who live in homes with vinyl floors are more likely to have

autism, according to a new study, but what's behind the link is unclear

By Marla Cone and Environmental Health News

Children who live in homes with vinyl floors, which can emit chemicals

called phthalates, are more likely to have autism, according to research by

Swedish and U.S. scientists published Monday.

The study of Swedish children is among the first to find an apparent connection

between an environmental chemical and autism.

The scientists were surprised by their finding, calling it " far from

conclusive. " Because their research was not designed to focus on autism, they

recommend further study of larger numbers of children to see whether the link

can be confirmed.

Bernard Weiss, a professor of environmental medicine at University of Rochester

and a co-author of the study, said the connection between vinyl flooring and

autism " turned up virtually by accident. " He called it " intriguing and baffling

at the same time. "

Experts suspect that genetic and environmental factors combine to cause

autism, a neurodevelopmental disorder that has increased dramatically in

children20over the past 20 years.

In the new study, Swedish families were asked questions about flooring as part

of research investigating allergies and indoor air pollutants. Phthalates, used

to make soft plastic, have in previous studies been connected to allergies and

asthma.

The study was based on surveys that asked a variety of questions related to the

indoor environment. Of the study's 4,779 children between the ages of 6 and 8,

72 had autism, including 60 boys.

The researchers found four environmental factors associated with autism: vinyl

flooring, the mother's smoking, family economic problems and condensation on

windows, which indicates poor ventilation.  

Infants or toddlers who lived in bedrooms with vinyl, or PVC, floors were twice

as likely to have autism five years later, in 2005, than those with wood or

linoleum flooring.

" A greater proportion of children with autism spectrum disorder were reported to

have PVC as flooring material in the child's and the parent's bedroom in 2000

compared to children without autism spectrum disorder, " the scientists wrote in

the journal Neurotoxicology. " Furthermore, children with autism spectrum

disorder were reported to live in homes with more condensation on the inside of

the windows, which...may be seen as an indicator for deficient ventilation. "

Children in the study also were twice as likely to have autism if their mothers

smoked cigarettes. The autistic children also were more likely to have asthma.

The lead investigator was Carl-Gustav Bornehag of Karlstad Uni

versity in Sweden, who in 2004 found a high rate of asthma and allergies among

children living in households with dust containing phthalates.

The scientists reported that they do not know if asthma and autism are

related, or whether phthalates contributed to the risk of autism by some other

mechanism, such as disruption of hormones. Phthalates in animal tests interfere

with male hormones and sexual development.

" The data are far from conclusive. They are puzzling, even baffling, and not

readily explicable at this time, " the scientists wrote in their study. " However,

because they are among the few clues that have emerged about possible

environmental contributions to autistic disorders, we believe that they should

be weighed carefully and warrant further study. "

Several scientists who did not participate in the study cautioned that it has

too many limitations to draw conclusions, but they suggested that new studies be

designed to look for a connection between autism and indoor air pollutants.

Dr. Philip Landrigan, a pediatrician who is director of the Children's

Environmental Health Center at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, called the

results " intriguing, but in my mind preliminary because they are based on very

small numbers. " Landrigan said he has " no doubt that environmental exposures are

involved in causation of autism, " but he suspects the most significant exposures

occur not in childhood, but early in pregnancy, " when the basic architecture of

the brain is still being established. "

The researchers relied on questionn

aires and did not measure any chemicals in the homes, which limits the

reliability of the findings because they do not know for certain that the

children were exposed to phthalates. Previous studies have found that phthalates

are common in household dust.

Phthalates are used as softeners in plastic for vinyl flooring as well as other

building materials, toys and medical equipment. The chemicals have become

increasing controversial in recent years, with Congress last year banning their

use in children's products.

The American Chemistry Council, representing chemical companies producing

phthalates, said in a statement Monday that the new study does not prove a link

between the chemicals and autism. " No other means for assessing these children

existed except for the questionnaire and the parent's responses, making this

finding rather insignificant, " said , the group's managing director.

Autism, he said, " was not systematically analyzed, but just happened to be a

question asked five years into the study. "

The industry group has said flooring emits " extremely low " levels of phthalates.

Because the compounds are heavy molecules with low volatility, they do not tend

to evaporate, and wear and tear that might release particles into dust is

slight, they said.

Vinyl flooring is commonplace in Sweden, where only about 1 percent of homes

have carpeted floors. But it is uncommon in U.S. bedrooms, so it may not be

related to autism among American children. However, carpeting contains other

contaminants, including pesticides and

brominated flame retardants, which have been found to harm brain development in

animal tests.

The scientists said their new finding " suggests that studies of other chemical

contaminants with endocrine disruptor properties might yield useful insights

into the genesis of " autism.

Previously, three studies in California have found a connection between

children's exposure to household or agricultural pesticides and autism.

Rates of autism in California have increased seven-fold since 1990, a recent

study found. Because genetics do not change that quickly, scientists suspect

that chemical pollutants are probably playing a role. But there have been few

studies attempting to pinpoint which chemicals, or combination of chemicals.

This article originally ran at Environmental Health News, a news source

published by Environmental Health Sciences, a nonprofit media company.

Further Reading

CDC Study Finds Rocket Fuel Chemical in Baby Formula

Are Insurance Companies the New Climate Ally?

Will New Food Safety Rules Hurt Organic Farmers?

A word about toilets on a research ship

 

Who Will Profit from Climate Change?

How to Build a " Greener " Backyard Garden

Plan B for Energy: 8 Revolutionary Energy Sources

What Is Greenwashing?

[Guest guest]

So, how are they able to conclude it is the vynal flooring and not the cause

of condensation on the windows? ie MOLD!

In a message dated 4/4/2009 10:27:14 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time,

dcbeth@... writes:

Note: " The researchers found four environmental factors associated with

autism: vinyl flooring, the mother's smoking, family economic problems and

condensation on windows, which indicates poor ventilation.N

**************Worried about job security? Check out the 5 safest jobs in a

recession.

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[Guest guest]

I think its there way to distract from from two of the obvious, Moulds and

Vaccines. 14 random autistic kids were tested for mycotoxins, ALL 14 kids

tested positive.

K

snk1955@... wrote: So, how are they able to

conclude it is the vynal flooring and not the cause

of condensation on the windows? ie MOLD!

In a message dated 4/4/2009 10:27:14 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time,

dcbeth@... writes:

Note: " The researchers found four environmental factors associated with

autism: vinyl flooring, the mother's smoking, family economic problems and

condensation on windows, which indicates poor ventilation.N

**************Worried about job security? Check out the 5 safest jobs in a

recession.

(http://jobs.aol.com/gallery/growing-job-industries?ncid=emlcntuscare00000003)