Our team at the Toxicant-Induced Loss of Tolerance (TILT) Program at UT Health San Antonio wanted to share some important data on autism:
A report from the CDC indicates that, for the first time, the percentage of 8-year-old children identified with Autism Spectrum Disorder was higher among Black, Hispanic, and Asian or Pacific Islander (A/PI) children compared with White children.
Prior to 2016, the percentage of children identified with ASD by 8 years of age was higher among White children than among Black or Hispanic children. In recent years, differences in identification of ASD by race and ethnicity began to narrow. In fact, in 2018, there was no overall difference observed in the percentage of A/PI, Black, Hispanic, or White children identified with ASD by 8 years of age.
Also in 2018, a new pattern emerged in racial and ethnic differences among younger children, where the percentage of Black and Hispanic 4-year-old children identified with ASD was higher compared with White children aged 4 years. This pattern continued in 2020 among 4-year-old children and was seen for the first time among 8-year-old children.
This issue is important for people who suffer from chemical intolerance (CI), said Dr. Claudia Miller, allergist/immunologist, professor emeritus, and leader of the Hoffman TILT Program at UT Health San Antonio.
Mothers with chemical intolerances are two to three times more likely than other women to have a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to Dr. Miller’s research.
Miller’s study included 282 mothers of children who had ASD and 258 mothers of children diagnosed with ADHD. The control group consisted of 154 mothers whose children had no developmental disorders.
Results showed:
- Children with ADHD were 1.7 times more likely than control children (ASD were 4.9 times more likely) to have had multiple infections requiring prolonged use of antibiotics.
- Children with ADHD were twice as likely as control children (ASD were 1.6 times more likely) to have allergies.
- Children with ADHD were twice as likely (ASD were 3.5 times more likely) to have had nausea, headaches, dizziness or trouble breathing when exposed to smoke, nail polish remover, engine exhaust, gasoline, air fresheners or cleaning agents than control children.
- Children with ADHD were twice as likely as controls (ASD were 4.8 times more likely) to have strong food preferences or cravings for cheese, chips, bread, pasta, rice, sugar, salt and chocolate.
“Chemically intolerant mothers were three times more likely to report having a child with ASD and 2.3 times more likely to have a child with ADHD,” according to a news release about the study.
How can you find out if you are chemically intolerant?
Answer these three questions from Hoffman TILT’s Brief Environmental Exposure and Sensitivity Inventory (BREESI):
- Do you feel sick when you are exposed to tobacco smoke, certain fragrances, nail polish/remover, engine exhaust, gasoline, air fresheners, pesticides, paint/thinner, fresh tar/asphalt, cleaning supplies, new carpet or furnishings? By sick, we mean: headache, difficulty thinking, difficulty breathing, weakness, dizziness, upset stomach, etc.
- Are you unable to tolerate or do you have adverse or allergic reactions to any drugs or medications (such as antibiotics, anesthetics, pain relievers, X-ray contrast dye, vaccines or birth control pills), or to an implant, prosthesis, contraceptive chemical or device, or other medical/surgical/dental material or procedure?
- Are you unable to tolerate or do you have adverse reactions to any foods such as dairy products, wheat, corn, eggs, caffeine, alcoholic beverages, or food additives (e.g., MSG, food dye)?
If you answer YES to any question, take the Quick Environmental Exposure and Sensitivity Inventory (QEESI) and share the results with your doctor!