To determine whether fetal and postnatal exposure to toxic metals increased the risk of developing autism spectrum disorder, researchers compared baby teeth from 17 pairs of identical and 15 pairs of fraternal twins. One child in each of the sibling pairs had been previously diagnosed with ASD. Researchers also analyzed baby teeth from healthy developing twins as a control group.
“We found significant divergences in metal uptake between ASD-affected children and their healthy siblings, but only during discrete developmental periods,” said Manish Arora, PhD, vice chair and associate professor in the department of environmental medicine and public health at the Icahn School of Medicine. “Specifically, the siblings with ASD had higher uptake of the neurotoxin lead, and reduced uptake of the essential elements manganese and zinc, during late pregnancy and the first few months after birth, as evidenced through analysis of their baby teeth. Furthermore, metal levels at three months after birth were shown to be predictive of the severity of ASD eight to ten years later in life.”
The researchers concluded further studies are needed to identify the cause of the discrepancies in the amount of metal and nutrients identified in the baby teeth. It is unclear whether these differences are due to variances in exposure levels or genetic differences in how the children process metals and nutrients.
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