Is it because many women take anti psychotics and anti depressants while pregnant and this affects the baby's development.?
2007-07-12 21:59:52 · 6 answers · asked by ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ 2 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Other - Diseases
We know the rate of DIAGNOSIS has increased but we are not certain if the actual condition is much more common. My niece & nephew would likely have just been diagnosed as "retarded" or "brain damaged" 30 or 40 years ago.
I heard one of the ladies on "The View" today quote that the rate of austims used to be 1 out of 10,000. Those stats from many years ago which included only classic autism. Even then, many with autism were just diagnosed "retarded" or someother general label. Most experts agree that the actual incidence rate of classic autism 30 years ago was more like 1 out of 1,000.
The current stats (1 out of 166) include Asperger's & other high-functioning forms of autism which were never diagnosed as autistic until the late 80s. The now compose about 70% of those with autism. Classic, or "Kanner's" autism occurs at about a rate of 1 out of 500.
So an accurate comparison would the old incidence rate of 1 out of 1,000 to the new rate of 1 out of 500. That means the rates have doubled, but that is a far cry from the rate increasing 60 times over. (and far from an "epidemic")
And remember, until recently, the common belief was that autsim was caused by unloving, neglectful mothers. If a doctor KNEW the mother was very loving & attentive, he would likely rule out a dianosis of autism, therefore resulting in the diagnosis rate being artificially low (back in the 80's & before).
Now I frequently hear of mothers going through tremendous ordials to get their kid diagnosed. There are two possible conclusions to that fact. Many kids are incorrectly labelled autistic, or these kids would not have been diagnosed without parental prodding.
2007-07-13 14:22:12 · answer #1 · answered by Smart Kat 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No it is not because of meds because I did not take any during my pregnancy and still had a child diagnosed. Nobody is quite sure what the factor is but experts do speculate that genetics and the enviornment and maybe even some of the vacinations may play a major factor in it. Some research has been done on the vacination theory but nothing (well in my own opinion anyway) concrete has eliminated it from the cause of autism. I really think it is a mixture of all of it somehow. The current stats are 1 out of 150.
2007-07-14 05:49:31 · answer #2 · answered by hersister 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Combination of better diagnosis and changing criteria. The disease probably has been around for ages, and those with autism were seen as "dumb", "mute", maybe even possessed. Mental illness in the past was poorly understood and only in recent years has any attempt been made to learn about it.
2007-07-12 23:03:59 · answer #3 · answered by daleksnake 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Its being over diagnosed now. I mean look at the symptoms, I guess I was autistic as a child too ... but I turned out just fine, with the exception of hanging around on Yahoo! Answers.
2007-07-12 22:11:44 · answer #4 · answered by inTHEgaddadavida 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think it is probably just that more cases are being diagnosed. Previously those with very mild cases would have gone unnoticed or just thought a little strange, while those with moderate cases would have been thought stupid and those with severe cases would have been classed as retarded.
2007-07-12 22:06:04 · answer #5 · answered by No Longer Dizzy 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Most people think it is because the drug companies keep pushing unneeded dangerous vaccines on young babies that destroys parts of their brains.
2007-07-13 00:17:48 · answer #6 · answered by mama woof 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋