| Title: | Environmental chemical exposures and autism spectrum disorders: a review of the epidemiological evidence |
| Author(s): | Kalkbrenner AE; Schmidt RJ; Penlesky AC; |
| Address: | "Zilber School of Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI. Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Davis, CA; Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA" |
| Journal Title: | Curr Probl Pediatr Adolesc Health Care |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.cppeds.2014.06.001 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1538-3199 (Electronic) 1538-5442 (Print) 1538-3199 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "In the past decade, the number of epidemiological publications addressing environmental chemical exposures and autism has grown tremendously. These studies are important because it is now understood that environmental factors play a larger role in causing autism than previously thought and because they address modifiable risk factors that may open up avenues for the primary prevention of the disability associated with autism. In this review, we covered studies of autism and estimates of exposure to tobacco, air pollutants, volatile organic compounds and solvents, metals (from air, occupation, diet, dental amalgams, and thimerosal-containing vaccines), pesticides, and organic endocrine-disrupting compounds such as flame retardants, non-stick chemicals, phthalates, and bisphenol A. We included studies that had individual-level data on autism, exposure measures pertaining to pregnancy or the 1st year of life, valid comparison groups, control for confounders, and adequate sample sizes. Despite the inherent error in the measurement of many of these environmental exposures, which is likely to attenuate observed associations, some environmental exposures showed associations with autism, especially traffic-related air pollutants, some metals, and several pesticides, with suggestive trends for some volatile organic compounds (e.g., methylene chloride, trichloroethylene, and styrene) and phthalates. Whether any of these play a causal role requires further study. Given the limited scope of these publications, other environmental chemicals cannot be ruled out, but have not yet been adequately studied. Future research that addresses these and additional environmental chemicals, including their most common routes of exposures, with accurate exposure measurement pertaining to several developmental windows, is essential to guide efforts for the prevention of the neurodevelopmental damage that manifests in autism symptoms" |
| Keywords: | "Child Development Disorders, Pervasive/epidemiology/*etiology/genetics Environmental Pollutants/*adverse effects Female Humans Maternal Exposure/*adverse effects Metals, Heavy/adverse effects Pesticides/adverse effects Pregnancy Prenatal Exposure Delayed;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineKalkbrenner, Amy E Schmidt, Rebecca J Penlesky, Annie C eng AS9038/Autism Speaks/ K12 HD051958/HD/NICHD NIH HHS/ Review 2014/09/10 Curr Probl Pediatr Adolesc Health Care. 2014 Nov; 44(10):277-318. doi: 10.1016/j.cppeds.2014.06.001. Epub 2014 Sep 5" |
