Autism Spectrum Disorder, or as I will be using very frequently, ASD, is a very hot topic disorder these days because no two people are affected the same way. From this, we are blessed with the difficult task of trying to explain their symptoms, treat them, and help them assimilate into society as the rest of us all try to do. So how exactly is this possible? Fantastic question, I’m glad you asked because I have a slight understanding of how ASD works.
From working together to come up with an idea in class, we arrived upon an agreement that Zinc deficiencies play a significant role in development in utero (Shocking… I know…) We found that zinc is a cofactor in protein synthesis, cell division, and immunity for both mother and baby. I would go out on a limb and say that it is a big shock that we all aren’t slightly on the autism spectrum because it just does not seem like proper levels are stressed to pregnant mothers. After reading the labels on several assorted brands of prenatal vitamins, I was presently surprised to find that an acceptable amount of zinc is included in these supplements. Unfortunately, not all mothers are planning on having a child, so I can go to imagine that many future mothers are not properly preparing their bodies for a little bundle of joy.
The next hot topic issue we found was the treatment of mothers for infections during pregnancy and how it is such a double edge sword. On one hand, it is ridiculous to leave any infection untreated (if out of control) but at the same time, antibiotics are not necessarily the healthiest item to be passed along to a fetus. It has been found that children whose mothers were treated with antibiotics during pregnancy were more likely to develop symptoms resembling ASD. This connection was discovered through many of these children having a gut microbiome dysbiosis. Although it is a long shot to draw a strong correlation between the two, one should take these facts as a warning story before jumping to antibiotic use if it isn’t necessary.
Autism Spectrum Disorder: It’s Zinc! No Wait, It’s Antibiotics! No, It’s….
