While the whole world is focused on Covid-19, a new study was just published two weeks ago that found Autism Rates DECREASING among wealthy, educated Californians, and INCREASING among families living in poorer counties.

The authors write…

“There is an urgent need to understand what wealthy California parents are doing or have access to that may be lowering their children’s risk.”

“There is an equally urgent need to understand the factors that may lead to increased risk of ASD among lower income populations, including factors that may be beyond their control, such as access to and autonomy over healthy food, health care, stressful environments and toxic exposures.”

“Rather than supporting genetic explanations, the DDS (California Department of Developmental Services) data tend to implicate environmental factors as underlying the etiology of ASD. For example, the lower prevalence of ASD in wealthy counties like Santa Clara from 2000 to 2013 could be explained at least in part by deliberate choices made by wealthy white and Asian parents, combined with wider access to better life options afforded to those with higher income and education. These choices may include prenatal and postnatal practices that prevent ASD from developing in the first place.”

This study refutes a purely genetic hypothesis, and points to ENVIRONMENTAL factors that wealthier parents are either AVOIDING or reducing risk, i.e. Tylenol, vaccines, artificial infant formula, antibiotics, etc.

We do know that exclusive breastfeeding reduces Autism risk. We also know that Tylenol is positively associated with Autism. We also know that completely unvaccinated children have lower rates of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Antibiotic use may be associated with Autism.

Please read the study:

“California Autism Prevalence by County and Race/Ethnicity: Declining Trends Among Wealthy Whites”

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10803-020-04460-0