Autism may be linked to living near a freeway

Air quality may be key factor

Alex Wukman, Dec 20, 10.

Children born to mothers who live near freeways have an increased risk of developing autism, according to a study recently published online in the journal Environmental Health Perspective.

Researchers looked at 304 children with autism and 259 children who were developing normally and found that those whose mothers were living within 1,000 feet of a freeway when they gave birth had an increased risk of autism, reports CBS News.

The study did not find a link between autism development and living near a major road instead of a freeway reports the Los Angeles Times. Researchers speculate that the increased risk may come from the amount and type of chemicals released on a freeway, states U.S. News & World Report.

While previous studies have shown that children with autism were 50 percent more likely to have a birth residence in an area with heavy air pollution, this is the first study to specifically look at vehicle pollution as a factor. However, there is still emerging evidence which shows that the causes of autism may have a genetic component. Time reports that a study in the American Journal of Psychiatry found that “20 percent of normally developing siblings of autistic children also had language delays and subtle speech problems — similar but milder than those common in autism.”