An Immune Disorder At The Root Of Autism (Op Ed From Nytimes)

[Takala]

This was on the opinion pages of the New York Times, 8/26/12, by Moises Velasquez-Manoff

Immune Disorders and Autism Open Original Shared Link

While it is not about celiac per se, it does mention celiac as a risk factor for autism. And as of 4 years ago, that was nearly biological heresy on the internet discussion boards. So this article is a very interesting read.

  Quote

Better clues to the causes of the autism phenomenon come from parallel

[pricklypear1971]

Very interesting. I haven't read the original, but this opinion piece is very thought provoking.

I pick up on points other than what you mention. All in all, I find the research mentioned very encouraging.

Where do I stand in line for my parasite???

[GFinDC]

You can keep the parasites. The idea of maternal inflammation causing autism seems reasonable. Maybe there will be some new treatments developed because of it. Hopefully anyhow.

[Kate79]

  On 8/26/2012 at 3:29 PM, pricklypear1971 said:

Very interesting. I haven't read the original, but this opinion piece is very thought provoking.

I pick up on points other than what you mention. All in all, I find the research mentioned very encouraging.

Where do I stand in line for my parasite???

Right here: Open Original Shared Link

NPR did the above story about a British man who infected himself with hookworm to treat his debilitating allergies/asthma. Apparently it worked, and for awhile he was selling his 'treatment' online, but I'm pretty sure he got shutdown.

[pricklypear1971]

  On 8/27/2012 at 2:08 PM, Kate79 said:

Right here: Open Original Shared Link

NPR did the above story about a British man who infected himself with hookworm to treat his debilitating allergies/asthma. Apparently it worked, and for awhile he was selling his 'treatment' online, but I'm pretty sure he got shutdown.

Thanks!

I think I'll wait til they refine it a little better .

I'm also interested in boone repopulation. I hope they find something effective in that area, and fast.

[1974girl]

Very interesting. I hope the women on the pregnancy board here will at least take a probiotic.

[plumbago]

I got to that NYT article on autism from Michael Pollan's tweet.

Interesting, but also annoying in that there is, in relation to celiac disease, a kind of loose-ended statement:

One large Danish study, which included nearly 700,000 births over a decade, found that a mother’s rheumatoid arthritis, a degenerative disease of the joints, elevated a child’s risk of autism by 80 percent. Her celiac disease, an inflammatory disease prompted by proteins in wheat and other grains, increased it 350 percent.

One, that's assuming a mother - who could be aged, what? 18-47? - ALREADY HAS rheumatoid arthritis. Ok, sure, it is definitely possible. But the second part about Celiac.

After being seen by a professional who is on the leading edge of celiac disease research, I have learned that celiac disease exists only when it is UNTREATED. So let's say the pregnant woman is eating gluten free? Does this still hold? I always wish that the writers would specify: treated or untreated. It makes such a difference.

Second, wasn't it also only a couple of days ago that articles began appearing about how the age of fathers has possibly increased the incidence of schizophrenia and autism?

Which is it? Older fathers or inflammed mothers???

Plumbago

[nvsmom]

Disturbing article... my first born son has some celiac and hypothyroidism symptoms (tested negative to celiac) and is (partially) diagnosed with Aspergers (we didn't finish the diagnosis since there is no benefit to it at this time). I had untreated celiac and hypothyroidism while pregnant with him, and I'm starting to wonder about RA since I had a positive RF test decades ago.

I've seen a few articles like this.

Jeez... I wish I'd known

[beebs]

Wow, this is fascinating stuff, I have autoimmune arthritis and celiac and two of my kids have ASD and are both suspected celiacs. We all have asthma. I always thought there was probably a connection.

[MegRie]

  On 9/6/2012 at 9:51 PM, nvsmom said:

Disturbing article... my first born son has some celiac and hypothyroidism symptoms (tested negative to celiac) and is (partially) diagnosed with Aspergers (we didn't finish the diagnosis since there is no benefit to it at this time). I had untreated celiac and hypothyroidism while pregnant with him, and I'm starting to wonder about RA since I had a positive RF test decades ago.

I've seen a few articles like this.

Jeez... I wish I'd known

Hi,

I know that this can be a sensitive subject, but I just wanted to suggest that you may want to finish getting a diagnosis for your son. I work with adults with special needs and those who were not diagnosed before adulthood are not eligible for some types of financial aid! At least at this point in time. :/

[come dance with me]

I don't have coeliac disease or arthritis, my daughter has coeliac disease and Autism. Her father, grandfather, uncle and cousin have Autism. Her grandmother has coeliac disease, but of course is not the one who carried her. Not sure what to make of this particular piece?

[ElseB]

As a woman with Celiac and Hashimotos who is considering having children in the next few years, I'm terrified to have children. With all of these autoimmune disesases, can I really produce a healthy child?

[megsybeth]

I think this is really interesting and makes me kind of glad I had two births before my diagnosis, ElseB! But I'd like to throw another perspective out there. I do think part of the rise in autism rates has to do with some level of over-diagnosis. My son was diagnosed at 2 and a half with ASD by a Developmental Ped who believed in over-diagnosing so as not to miss anyone. The thing is, his major issues are motor delays (very clumsy) and poor eye contact because he has a very short attention span.

His mother is celiac but he is also celiac. So I also think some of the diagnoses of ASD and ADHD, maybe not a lot, but some, are misdiagnosed celiac which my son was for two years. My son is the kind of child who would rather make the puzzle pieces talk to each other than try to put them in the right spot, he's a social butterfly even if he bounces off the walls. But autism was the easiest label to put on him when he was younger and it helped us get services covered.

His old developmental ped is probably right that it's better to treat some kids for ASD than to miss others, but when it leads to doctors missing other serious medical issues like celiac, I do think we need to think about making doctors have a broader focus.

[Alicia H]

Hi, I had the same reaction as Plumbago when I read the article -Were they talking about diagnosed or undiagnosed celiacs?  But I ended up reading the original research paper, which gives a little more clarity on this question.  It looks like increased risk is not true for diagnosed celiacs (meaning gluten free pregnant women).   Below is copied from the original research paper.  And I'll put the link to the paper below it.  To me, it's still a little unclear, but do you think that is what's being said here?

 

"Maternal diagnosis of celiac disease

was found to be associated with ASDs.

Previous studies have found associations between undiagnosed celiac disease in pregnancy and intrauterine

growth reduction of the fetus,33,34 low

birth weight,33,34 and early gestational

age,34 which also are risk factors for

ASDs.35 However, celiac disease diagnosed before pregnancy does not

seem to constitute a risk of adverse

fetal outcome, indicating the importance of treatment of pregnant women

with celiac disease.33,34"

 

Open Original Shared Link

 

Thanks, 

Alicia

[kareng]

  On 10/4/2013 at 8:35 PM, Alicia H said:

Hi, I had the same reaction as Plumbago when I read the article -Were they talking about diagnosed or undiagnosed celiacs?  But I ended up reading the original research paper, which gives a little more clarity on this question.  It looks like increased risk is not true for diagnosed celiacs (meaning gluten free pregnant women).   Below is copied from the original research paper.  And I'll put the link to the paper below it.  To me, it's still a little unclear, but do you think that is what's being said here?

 

"Maternal diagnosis of celiac disease

was found to be associated with ASDs.

Previous studies have found associations between undiagnosed celiac disease in pregnancy and intrauterine

growth reduction of the fetus,33,34 low

birth weight,33,34 and early gestational

age,34 which also are risk factors for

ASDs.35 However, celiac disease diagnosed before pregnancy does not

seem to constitute a risk of adverse

fetal outcome, indicating the importance of treatment of pregnant women

with celiac disease.33,34"

 

Open Original Shared Link

 

Thanks, 

Alicia

You might want to check out this more recent one.

https://www.celiac.com/forums/topic/104326-study-finds-no-connection-between-autism-celiac-disease/