Sept. 19, 2002 -- It's something many parents know: If a
child is autistic, keeping milk and wheat out of the diet helps tame
symptoms. But now, scientists think they understand why.
A new study seems to unlock an important piece the
puzzle, indicating a link with the immune system.
Autism is a complex syndrome that appears in early
childhood; autistic children have difficulties in language development,
social interactions, and repetitive patterns of behavior -- such as
banging their head against the wall. Whereas a genetic predisposition
puts children at high risk of developing autism, scientists have long
debated the other triggers that cause the disorder.
Recent studies have shown that children who drink less
(or no) milk -- and eat fewer (or no) wheat products -- have improvement
in symptoms. They have better social contact, less self-harm (such as
head banging), and fewer "dreamy state" periods. Other studies have
pointed to environmental toxins -- specifically bacterial and viral
infections -- as triggers, says Aristo Vojdani, assistant research
professor in neurobiology at UCLA and director of Immunosciences Lab
Inc. in Beverly Hills, Calif.
"My study puts the pieces together, how infection
produces autism symptoms," he tells WebMD.
His study appears in the August issue of the Journal
of Neuroimmunology.
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