Drowning tops list of causes of death in children having autism
A new and rather saddening study was published by the researchers at the University of Sciences this week. The team of scientists led by Dr. Gibbs had been studying the reasons for death in children diagnosed with autism as the condition by itself does not lead to death. Dr. Gibbs and his team found that drowning, a completely preventable cause, was the leading reason for death of children on the autism spectrum. How a fun, summer sport takes a fatal turn is quite well known but how to prevent this from happening needs to be taken a closer look into, the shocking results of the study suggest. The study found that children with autism are rather sensitive to new environments and might get overwhelmed and ‘overstimulated’ by crowds around water bodies. This might be leading them to escape to an unguarded and unsafe environment leading to death. Addressing safety concerns for children with autism especially around water should top the list of the parents as fleeing into an unfamiliar and unsafe environment is leading to these totally avoidable deaths. Dr. Gibbs compiled a list of measures to be taken around water bodies to prevent more of such mishaps.
New genetic clue to autism uncovered
Researchers claim to have found a new clue to autism that may enable pre-birth tests to detect genes for autism. Early on this week, a team of researchers led by Dr. Raphael Bernier from Autism Center at the Seattle Children’s Hospital published a study in the journal Cell that raises the hopes of not just parents with autistic children, but the entire world in general. His team announced the discovery of an underlying reason for a subtype of autism. Dr. Bernier’s team studied 6000 children having autism and observed that 15 of them had a mutation in the CHD8 gene. All the 15 kids had larger than typical heads, prominent foreheads, sleep disturbances and gastrointestinal problems like constipation. This study has given concrete evidence behind the gastrointestinal troubles that parents of children with autism have been complaining about to doctors for years now. A real probability of the cause has been found- the CHD8 gene mutation. The study needs to be conducted on an even larger scale to conclusively deduce that CHD8 is the reason for the tummy troubles in these children. Further studies might help use genetic testing to detect mutations in the gene during pregnancy itself and prevent the birth of a child that might develop autism later on. More on this study can be read on Autism Daily Newscast here.
A typical brain wiring possible reason for autism spectrum disorders, study suggests
A new study published by Inna Fishman and her team of researchers from the San Diego State University at California has found that children with a diagnosis of ASD have greater atypical communication between 2 neuron networks, namely the mentalizing neurons and the mirror neurons. The study involved adolescents and was published in JAMA Psychiatry this week. The study also discovered greater social awkwardness amongst these participants associated with this over-connectivity amongst neurons.
Online Study Proves Time and Cost-Effective
Researchers at UC San Francisco have completed the first online randomized clinical trial for children with autism. The study, published in the June 2014 issue of Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, evaluated the effectiveness of omega 3 fatty acids in reducing hyperactivity in children with autism. More on this story can be read here on Autism Daily Newscast. Studies that show promise online may point the way towards methods that deserve further research in more traditional formats, allowing more money to be allocated towards research that is likely to make a real difference for those living with autism.
Study reveals that iPads help improve verbal skills of children with ASD
Autism Daily Newscast reported here about a study last month that indicates that iPads help to improve the oral communication skills of children on the spectrum. They found that more than 80% of the primary groups’ participants showed a 25% improvement in verbal communication ability.