The growing prevalence of autism is one of the biggest scientific whodunits in the medical world, with few clues for its rising incidence.
But a U.S. researcher is advancing a controversial hypothesis: that autism is related to vitamin D deficiency during fetal development and early childhood.
Dr. John Cannell, a psychiatrist and prominent vitamin D advocate, says flagging levels of the vitamin in pregnant women and young children could be the elusive factor explaining the rising rate of autism.
The evidence for such a link is circumstantial, and autism experts describe the hypothesis as speculative. But Dr. Cannell, founder of the Vitamin D Council, a non-profit advocacy group, says autism rates have skyrocketed in lockstep with medical advice given to the public since the late 1980s to avoid all exposure to bright sunshine.
"If it's true, I can't think of another situation where medical advice was so damaging to such a large number of people," says Dr. Cannell, who practises at Atascadero State Hospital in California.The current Canadian estimate is that about 60 children out of every 10,000, or about 1 in 165, have autism and related conditions. Up until the 1990s, the prevalence was thought to be far lower, at only 4 or 5 children in 10,000.
**This article has been shorten, read more about it on Global Life Health.**
But a U.S. researcher is advancing a controversial hypothesis: that autism is related to vitamin D deficiency during fetal development and early childhood.
Dr. John Cannell, a psychiatrist and prominent vitamin D advocate, says flagging levels of the vitamin in pregnant women and young children could be the elusive factor explaining the rising rate of autism.
The evidence for such a link is circumstantial, and autism experts describe the hypothesis as speculative. But Dr. Cannell, founder of the Vitamin D Council, a non-profit advocacy group, says autism rates have skyrocketed in lockstep with medical advice given to the public since the late 1980s to avoid all exposure to bright sunshine.
"If it's true, I can't think of another situation where medical advice was so damaging to such a large number of people," says Dr. Cannell, who practises at Atascadero State Hospital in California.The current Canadian estimate is that about 60 children out of every 10,000, or about 1 in 165, have autism and related conditions. Up until the 1990s, the prevalence was thought to be far lower, at only 4 or 5 children in 10,000.
**This article has been shorten, read more about it on Global Life Health.**
