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Vitamin D & Autism

Can Vitamin D Deficiency Explain Autism?

One interesting theory I've come across for Autism lately is the Vitamin D link to autism. In the past 20 years the diagnosis for autism has skyrocketed, these are about the same 20 or so years that have seen an increasing awareness of UV rays and their relationship to skin cancers.  So conscientious women slather on the sunscreen hoping to prevent both skin cancer and wrinkles.  Now we are learning that our avoidance of UV rays might have long term effects on our children.  Let me explain first that I don't believe that the diagnosis of autism is simply a vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy or early childhood.  I know this because I've seen many autistic children in my practice get much better without ever supplementing with vitamin D or being exposed to extra sunlight.  So as I always maintain, autism is multifactorial and the vitamin D angle may be another piece to the puzzle. 

Before the sun-scare campaign started by the AMA (American Medical Association) in 1989, people were getting 90% of their vitamin D via sunlight exposure to the skin.  Vitamin D is imperative to immune function, bone formation and brain development as the Vitamin D Council has learned through various research with mice.  Not only is vitamin D necessary for proper brain development but maternal deficiencies of vitamin D during pregnancy leads to abnormal brain cell death and abnormal brain cell growth.  Researchers also learned that vitamin D deficiency disrupts 36 different enzymes needed for proper brain development.  In baby rats, the D deficiency seems to lead to enlarged ventricles in the brain and increased brain size similar to the brains of autistic children.  Because Vitamin D is both anti-inflammatory as well as an anti-oxidant, low levels can lead to increased inflammation and high oxidative stress often found in autistic children.

As we see the incidence of autism and autism spectrum disorders skyrocket to epidemic proportions we need to look carefully to see what we are doing now in the 21st century that may be harming our health and the health of our children.  Incidence of autism in now at about 1 in 88 children in England are predicted to develop autism.  Along with autism increases the incidence of Tourette's syndrome and ADHD have increased as well.  Both of which are neurological disorders with unknown causes.  Can Vitamin D deficiency in these children be a part of the puzzle and can sunlight be part of the cure? 

Sunshine during summertime need not exceed 5-20 minutes per day depending on skin color and latitude of where you live.  In winter, this increases so make sure your exercise is taken in sunshine and that your children get adequate sunshine as well.  If you are pregnant, sunshine is extra important and if you live in a higher latitude location consider a vitamin D supplement such as cod liver oil and make sure your doctor checks you for vitamin D deficiency. 

06/21/2009