What are the causes of autism?
Autism is believed to be a developmental neurological disorder, meaning that it is present from birth although the symptoms usually appear after a year or two (some experts have been known to identify sign of autism in the first year of life in a few cases). The cause of autism remains unknown but research have pointed that some parts of the brain involved in language and information processing may be affected, possibly due to chemical imbalances in the brain during development or throughout life. Autism was once believed to be caused by emotional trauma (often said to be caused by the infant’s mother) but this has been proven to be false.
Related Questions
- If the Lancet case report did not say MMR causes autism, and if his collection of biopsies for research purposes was pre-approved by the Ethical Practices Committee, why is there a case against Dr. Wakefield (and colleagues)?
- What Causes Fragile-X Syndrome, and How Is It Linked to Autism?
- What is known about the causes of autism?
