Dr. Philip J. Landrigan Calls for Expanded Research Into Environmental Causes of Autism

Dr. Philip J. Landrigan  has published, in the April 201 edition of Current Opinion in Pediatrics,   an article  titled  What causes autism? Exploring the environmental contribution in which the he calls for expanded research into environmental causes of autism.  As set out in the abstract summary:

"Expanded research is needed into environmental causation of autism. Children today are surrounded by thousands of synthetic chemicals. Two hundred of them are neurotoxic in adult humans, and 1000 more in laboratory models. Yet fewer than 20% of high-volume chemicals have been tested for neurodevelopmental toxicity. I propose a targeted discovery strategy focused on suspect chemicals, which combines expanded toxicological screening, neurobiological research and prospective epidemiological studies."

Dr. Landrigan notes that genetic factors are implicated in causing autism but only in a very small number of cases and they do not explain key clinical and epidemiological features. He suggests as a hypotheses that early environmental factors could contribute.  Dr. Landrigan notes two important indirect sources of support for the hypothesis: "studies demonstrating the sensitivity of the developing brain to external exposures such as lead, ethyl alcohol and methyl mercury" and, more importantly, "studies specifically linking autism to exposures in early pregnancy – thalidomide, misoprostol, and valproic acid; maternal rubella infection; and the organophosphate insecticide, chlorpyrifos."

In December 2009 I  wrote a blog comment on this very subject Autism and Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals: Time to Put a Stake Through the Heart of the "It's Gotta Be Genetic" Model of Autism Research. My comment was based on the CDC Fourth National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals, which:

"measured 212 chemicals in people's blood or urine—75 of which have never before been measured in the U.S. population. The new chemicals include acrylamide, arsenic, environmental phenols, including bisphenol A and triclosan, and perchlorate"

I noted that this alarming report had been released just days before Christmas when it would attract little public attention. But I am not a scientist and even worse, I am a parent of an autistic child, which means that my opinion about the realities of autism disorders,  is generally worth less than nothing in public health authority circles.  I am very pleased that someone as distinguished as Dr. Landrigan has in fact been paying attention to the possible role played by untested synthetic chemicals in causing autism in children. For those who do not know who Dr. Philp J. Landrigan is I am citing, in full his bio,  as listed on the Environmental Health Perspectives site:

"Philip J. Landrigan, MD
Center for Children's Health and the Environment
Department of Community &  Preventive Medicine
Mount Sinai School of Medicine

Philip J. Landrigan, a pediatrician, is the Ethel H. Wise Professor and chair of the Department of Community and Preventive Medicine at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. He also holds a professorship in pediatrics at Mount Sinai. He directs the Mount Sinai Center for Children's Health and the Environment. Landrigan is a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and is currently editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Industrial Medicine. He has served in many other capacities, including editor of Environmental Research and committee chair at the NAS on Environmental Neurotoxicology (NAS 1992) and on Pesticides in the Diets of Infants and Children (NAS 1993).

The report of the NAS committee that Landrigan chaired on pesticides and children's health was instrumental in securing passage of the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996, the major federal pesticide law in the United States. In New York City, he served on the Mayor's Advisory Committee to Prevent Childhood Lead Paint Poisoning and on the Childhood Immunization Advisory Committee. He is chair of the New York State Advisory Council on Lead Poisoning Prevention. From 1995 to 1997, Landrigan served on the Presidential Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veteran's Illnesses. In 1997 and 1998, he served as senior advisor on children's health to the administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). He was responsible at the U.S. EPA for helping to establish a new Office of Children's Health Protection."

Hopefully Dr. Insel and the IACC will take seriously the warning sounded by Dr. Landrigan. With his qualifications and experience his is a voice that should be heeded if we are to ever find out what is happening to our children, what is causing them to develop so many neurodevelomental disorders in such alarming numbers.  Rooting endlessly through the genetic family histories of autistic children has not  helped.  Fudging the facts, distorting the picture by periodic DSM changes will not help our children. It is time the IACC and other public health authorities joined respected voices like Dr. Landrigan, Dr. Irva Hertz-Picciotto, Dr. Jon Poling and others who have called for research into the environmental causes of autism disorders.  

Autism is rising. It is time to quit the genetic stalling game and find out why.

IACC Autism Research Plan: Dr. Steven Novella Throws a Tantrum

Steven Novella MD, author of the NEUROLOGICA blog, doesn't like the recent IACC Statement on Autism Research and is throwing a tantrum. In IACC Statement on Autism Research Dr. Novella objects to the inclusion of research into possible links between vaccines and autism. Specifically he objects to language, approved unanimously by the IACC, that:

"calls for studies to determine if there are sub-populations that are more susceptible to environmental exposures such as immune challenges related to naturally occurring infections, vaccines or underlying immune problems."

In Dr. Novella's view this statement represents:

"the infiltration into the autism community of anti-vaccinationists – who have an agenda other than researching autism. In fact, the anti-vaccine movement has been unfortunately successful in branding themselves as autism activists and experts. This decision by the IACC represents the fruits of that infiltration – a distortion of funding for autism research to suit their anti-vaccine agenda. In fact, two members of the IACC – Lyn Redwood and Lee Grossman, were added specifically to represent the anti-vaccine movement in the (probably misguided) hope of placating that group."

It looks, at first reading, as though Dr. Novella has become, in the oft used words of his fellow "science" blogger Dr. David H. Gorski, aka Orac, a conspiracy theorist. Rather than do a full Orac on Dr. Novella though I think it is probably too early to tell just from his initial reaction. It is probably fairer to say, at this time, that Dr. Novella simply did not get what he wanted ... the exclusion of any reference to vaccines in the IACC strategic research plan, and his response is much like what any child who does not get his way might do ... he is lashing out ... he is throwing a tantrum.

Like many people who do not like the result or outcome of a process Dr. Novella is now furious and screams that the process itself was flawed from the outset. The inclusion of ... ugh... public representatives on the IACC is reprehensible to the good Doctor. After all Doctors should never have to listen to their patients right? No longer content to question the ability of public representatives to think about science Dr. Novella now feels that he has the expertise to determine who is, and who is not, a legitimate member of the "autism community".

Apparently it is no solace to Dr. Novella that Dr. Bernadine Healy, former head of the American Red Cross and the NIH, has articulated the premise that the existing vaccine autism studies were not specific enough and did not examine the possible impact of vaccines on vulnerable population subsets. Apparently it is no solace to Dr. Novella that Dr. Healy, as well as former CDC director Dr. Julie Gerberding and neurologist Dr. Jon Poling have all stated that autism research should included further vaccine autism research.

Dr. Novella may be on the road to becoming what Dr. Gorski might call a conspiracy theorist but for now only one thing is certain ... the good Doctor does not like the result and he is screaming foul ... after the fact .

The Doctor is throwing a tantrum.

autism