New study links air pollution, NOT vaccines, to autism

in #science5 years ago (edited)

A new study conducted in Shanghai by Monash University's School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine has shown a link between poor air quality and a significant increase in the risk of developing ASD (Autism spectrum disorder).

Whilst previous study's have shown a connection between air quality and the risks posed to unborn children, this research has gone further and found that neurological development within the first few years can be severely adversely affected.

source

Air pollution

This study was conducted in Shanghai, one of the most polluted cities in one of the most polluted countries on earth, in fact in the last couple of years it has surpassed even Beijing who are notoriously bad.
Air quality in China is measured based on 6 different pollutants, sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), suspended particulates smaller than 10 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM10), suspended particulates smaller than 2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5), carbon monoxide (CO), and ozone (O3).
It is then rated between levels of 1-6 using mathematics far more complicated than I can understand.
The current rating in Shanghai is around 150 or level 4, this can be monitored live via https://aqicn.org/city/shanghai/

Back to the study

Even though we're most worried about things like our lungs being affected we don't really take into account impaired neurological development.
Because Autism isn't usually diagnosed until the age of 2 or 3 when social interactions can be observed it has been difficult to prove a link before, most studies only encompassed during pregnancy and maybe the first year of life.

The research team compared 124 cases of ASD with 1,240 children who had no diagnosis, they then matched up where the children had lived during the first 3 years of life and daily air quality readings. They found that those exposed to higher concentrations of the smaller particles were at an 86% higher chance of developing ASD.

The study can be found here and was published in Environment International

Vaccines don't cause autism.

They just don't... There may be correlation between the time you vaccinate and the onset of symptoms but this doesn't mean causation. Please vaccinate, it's not some big scam, just common sense.

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