I try to read anything and everything I can get my hands on when it comes to lead. Lead sucks. Even Benjamin Franklin was aware of its dangers in 1786. Every once in a while I find a bit of research that sickens me a little more about this cantankerous element number 82(Atomic Number). In Autism and Autistic Symptoms Associated with Childhood Lead Poisoning , published in the Journal of Applied Research, authors Theodore I. Lidsky, PhD , Department of Psychobiology, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York and Jay S. Schneider, PhD Department of Pathology, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Thomas Jefferson University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania examined two case histories of children who, during periods of severe lead poisoning, developed autism or autistic symptoms. “These cases underscore that there are multiple causes of autism and the importance of environmental influences in some cases.”
There is a blog about autism called “Facing Autism in New Brunswick”. The author summed up the relationship best. “In such cases, *lead* poisoning can be expected not only to negatively impact neurocognitive functioning, but also to potentially exacerbate the preexisting symptoms of *autism*. Indeed, one case report describes a decrease in hyperactivity and stereotypes in an autistic child with a blood *lead* of 42 µg/dL once this level was reduced by chelation with succimer.”
So autistic symptoms seem to lessen as the blood lead levels lowered.” This relationship needs to be explored further. I wonder if testing blood for lead is a standard procedure for an autistic diagnosis.
