Hello folks.
I am a15 years old female and I have recently discovered a small lump in my left breast ( about the size and shape of a M&M). I’m especially concerned about it because my grandmother lost her breast to cancer, which means it is in my genes. Is is possible for someone so young like me to develop breast cancer ? Is there certain symptoms (occasional pain in the location, drowsey… etc)…
Whenever a doctor informs the parents that their child is suffering with Autism, the first & foremost question that is thrown over him is – How did it happen? How did my child get this disease?
Well, there is no definite answer to what are the exact causes of Autism. Yet, there are various theories that the researchers and doctors are working on. Interestingly, it is found that Autism is rather common in boys than girls.
Earlier, it was believed that Autism occurred due to emotional trauma. Hence, bad parenting was added to its causes. The doctors said that mothers not giving their children enough attention & love were a problem. However, these factors were proved wrong with enough study & research.
The most known theory regarding the causes of Autism is – Genetic. Some researchers feel that individuals are born with the predisposition to be Autistic. Later on some environmental triggers make them Autistic. They say, there are several genes that lead to Autism, but are yet to find them.
Environmental factors are found to make a great impact on Autism. Studies show that there are several cases of Autism in small towns that are exposed to high levels of toxins & chemicals. Usually, towns located near the industrial areas or factories have quite toxic air that triggers Autism among children.
Another interesting theory regarding Autism links it to mercury. They say, as Autism was first diagnosed near about the same time when vaccines were given, Autism was caused due to the mercury content in the vaccines.
Mercury or thimersal in the vaccines in today’s date is almost nil or in mere trance amounts. Also there could be several other risks if these vaccines are not given to the child. So, one finds no reason to blindly blame the vaccines and hence avoid them in order to prevent Autism.
Rather high level of mercury can be met by eating a lot of fish, or being exposed to the industrial emissions. Research says that there might be a certain link amidst the expecting mothers and their children being Autistic. Now, the researchers are testing the pregnant women’s exposure to mercury and they would further study the babies at birth. This would help them monitor, if there theory is proved true or not.
Further Autism is linked with some underlying health issues. It is said that children suffering with diseases like Fragile X Syndrome and Congenital Rubella have higher chances of being Autistic.
Metabolic imbalance is another perception. Researchers say that metabolic imbalance in the child might also lead to Autism.
In order to get through the right cause of Autism, much more study and analysis is required. Hopefully there would be a day when we would be able to prevent and cure the disease. Until then, we must fight back the disease with courage.
What are the genetic causes of autism? In truth, no one really knows. Due to the fact that autism is a spectrum disorder the causes can vary from person to person and case to case. Most experts agree though to some extent that autism is genetically linked, for in families with one autistic child, the risks of another being born increase with each case of autism in the family, especially in regards to males.
Even experts do not have all the answers. A positive though is with more cases of autism occurring every year research funding and grants for the purpose of understanding and possibly preventing or curing autism are on the rise. Causes are questionable and raise many a debate, everything from vaccines to being hereditary and everything in between.
In either regard, no one questions the likelihood of autism being genetic. Despite the fact that the human genome has now been mapped, we are still very unsure of the true nature of genes and how they work and affect our outcome. Researchers have shown though that autism does carry a tendency to run in families. Parents who have an autistic child are more likely to have another one and twins with autism tend to share autistic traits amongst them.
Though we know of the genetic link, it doesn’t mean that one gene is responsible for autism. Since it is a spectrum disorder it is quite likely that multiple genes may play a factor in the final outcome and depending on the mutation or absence of the gene or combination of genes a specific form of autism is present. Just like autism has many faces, in all probability, so too will the genes that cause it. So when will we have conclusive causes to the genetic causes of autism? Perhaps never. It is better to think of autism in terms of symptoms, depending on the symptom present the cause may be different. This is why the symbol for autism is a puzzle piece. Autism is a very puzzling disorder, which can overlap other disorders, and have different levels of affect on a persons ability to function.
Genetic causes of autism are undeniable; but just like any genetic related disorder, because we know so little about the true nature of genes we do not truly know the true nature or cause of autism. All we can currently do is support those who have autism and continue to raise awareness and funding towards the research and perhaps potential cure and prevention of autism.
Autism understanding begins when a person realizes that autism is a disorder that affects people differently. Although autism affects the normal functioning of a person’s perception, attention and thoughts, autism is not characterized by one type of perception, attention and thought. Instead, it covers a broad spectrum of disorders that may be mild or severe. Due to the fact that autism is such a complex disorder, medical research is still in the process of understanding how it develops and why it affects certain individuals.
One particular medical project with the aim to find better autism understanding by identifying the gene that causes autism, is the 5 year Autism Genome Project (AGP). So far, phase I of the AGP has identified a gene and parts of a chromosome to be linked with the occurrence of autism. The findings of this particular autism study was published online in the Nature Genetics February 18, 2007 issue.
The Autism Genome Project is a global research consortium that is funded by Autism Speaks and the National Institute of Health. Autism Speaks is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to raising the awareness of autism and raising funds to help research it.
The AGP involves more than 120 scientists from 50 institutions in 19 countries around the world. The researchers who have collaborated on the project combined their autism expertise, and shared all of the data and samples they had to help identify autism-related genes.
As was mentioned, phase I of this project began 5 years ago in 2002, and it allowed the team of medical experts to gain autism understanding by identifying a single specific gene known as neurexil 1, and part of chromosome 11 which could likely be the cause of autism in children. These findings are based on the largest autism genome scan that has ever been done.
Scientists have known for many years that autism is a genetic disorder, but only until the AGP have they been able to use special “gene chip” technology to search for genetic similarities in autistics. Genetic similarities were found in practically all of the autistic individuals within each of the twelve hundred families that that were made part of the project. The scientists also checked the DNA of each family to look for copy number variations that are believed might be connected to autism and similar disorders.
What the researches discovered in their study was that one particular gene known as neurexin 1 plays a significant role with glutamate; a neurotransmitter that has been formerly linked to autism. Researchers also uncovered an area of chromosome 11 that is suspected to contain a gene that may be involved in the occurrence of autism. However, this particular gene in chromosome 11 has yet to be identified which is required for further autism understanding.
Based on previous research, and the research that has been uncovered by the study so far, scientists speculate that there may be as many as 6 main genes and 30 additional genes linked to autism. However, these numbers are only theories, as scientists point out that the actual number of genes could exceed their theory. Nevertheless, despite the number of genes that may be involved, researchers admit that it is still far too early to dictate how these genes may be responsible for autism.
Currently, phase II of the Autism Genome Project has been announced. The promising discoveries found in phase I makes scientists hopeful that discovering the genes that cause autism will provide new steps toward autism understanding. With greater understanding, more effective methods of diagnosis, preventing and treating the disorder can be taken.
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