brain development

Naps Crucial For Brain Development and Memory in Kids

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Summary: A new study aims to examine the role of napping in brain development among infants and preschoolers. By tracking changes in the hippocampus, the research aims to prove how critical naps are for memory retention and brain growth in young children.

These longitudinal studies could set new standards for nap policies in educational settings, benefiting both neurotypical and neurodiverse children. Insights from this research will provide valuable guidelines for parents and educators on the importance of napping in early childhood.

Key Facts:

  1. Focus on the Hippocampus: The studies investigate the hippocampus’s role during nap transitions, highlighting its significance in short-term memory and overall brain development.
  2. Longitudinal Approach: Unlike previous cross-sectional studies, these projects will observe the same children over time to better understand the developmental milestones associated with napping.
  3. Practical Applications: Findings from the studies are expected to influence nap policies in preschool environments and offer actionable insights for parents of young children.

Source: UMass

A University of Massachusetts Amherst sleep scientist, funded with $6.7 million in grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has launched two unprecedented studies that will track over time the brain development of infants and preschoolers to confirm the role of napping in early life and to identify the bioregulatory mechanisms involved.

Rebecca Spencer, a professor of psychological and brain sciences who is well-known for her groundbreaking research into napping, is testing her theories about what’s happening in the hippocampus–the short-term memory area of the brain–as babies and young children undergo nap transitions.

This shows a toddler napping.
Naps allow children with an immature hippocampus to process memories. Credit: Neuroscience News

This new research is expected to become the gold standard of scientific evidence that emphasizes the importance of healthy sleep for young children as their brains develop. 

The findings will help inform nap policies for preschool and pre-kindergarten and be useful to teachers and parents of both neurotypical and neurodiverse children.

“The work we’ve been doing has always pointed to this interaction of sleep and brain development,” says Spencer, who carries out research in her Somneurolab at UMass Amherst.

“We think that kids get ready to transition out of naps when the brain is big enough to hold all the information of the day until night-time sleep.”

The study involving preschoolers is a collaboration between Spencer at UMass Amherst; Tracy Riggins, a developmental psychologist specializing in memory development at the University of Maryland; and Gregory Hancock, a UMD professor of human development and quantitative methodology. 

Previous research by Spencer and Riggins showed differences in the hippocampus of kids who nap compared to those who have transitioned out of naps.

“So far, we’ve used cross-sectional approaches,” says Spencer, referring to research that analyzes data at one point in time, as opposed to longitudinal studies that involve repeated observation over time.

“We really need to show longitudinally within a child that the point when they transition out of naps is predicted by a transition in the development of their hippocampus.” 

The hippocampus is the short-term location for memories before they move to the cortex for long-term storage. Naps allow children with an immature hippocampus to process memories.

Young children give up their afternoon nap, not based on their age, but their brain development, Spencer hypothesizes.

“Naps are beneficial to everybody. Naps protect memory for everybody, no matter what age. Kids who are habitual nappers really need the nap. If they don’t nap, they get catastrophic forgetting.

“That’s the difference between habitual and non-habitual nappers – not how good is the nap, but how bad is staying awake,” Spencer explains.

Adds Riggins, “In the end, being able to tell parents that those little deviations from routine that keep their children from napping might not have these huge implications for a neurotypical child in the long run would be great.

“And, the more we know about how the brain works in a typically developing child during this nap transition, the more we will be able to know about where we could possibly intervene to help neurodiverse children–like children with autism and ADHD, whose sleep patterns tend to be disrupted–since we will have some sort of scientific basis.”

The research team is recruiting 180 children, ages 3 to 5 years. The researchers will track their brain development, memory performance and nap status over the course of one year at three checkpoints.

During the first and second sessions, the children will wear activity-tracking watches and EEG equipment to record naps and overnight sleep. They will also play memory games before and after naps. The children will undergo an MRI brain scan during the third session. 

Monica and David Dumlao, of Chicopee, Mass., signed up their son Miles, 4, for the preschool study after watching the Netflix documentary series, “Babies,” which featured Spencer in the episode about sleep.

“We like learning about the neuroscience behind brain development,” Monica Dumlao said at a recent study session in Spencer’s lab.

“We thought this was a good opportunity to contribute to the science about the importance of naps.” 

In the three-part infant study on nap transitions and memory, Spencer is studying the period before and after babies transition from two naps–one in the morning and one in the afternoon–to one, richer afternoon nap.

She is recruiting 140 infants 7 to 9 months old. The babies will play a memory game before and after their naps. Their brain activity will be recorded during their naps using a noninvasive electrode cap. The sessions will take place at 9, 12 and 15 months.

“We think as they are getting ready to drop the morning nap, staying awake in that morning interval will be less and less damaging to their memory,” Spencer says.

“But we don’t think that’s going to happen with the afternoon nap at this age. We think the afternoon nap stays superimportant.”

Antidepressants Impact Brain Development.

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Summary: Using antidepressants during pregnancy, specifically fluoxetine (found in Prozac and Sarafem), can significantly affect a child’s brain development, particularly in the prefrontal cortex, potentially increasing the risk of mental health disorders later in life.

The research highlights how serotonin, boosted by fluoxetine, directly impacts the development of synaptic connections in the prefrontal cortex, a critical area for high-order cognitive functions.

This study is pioneering in providing experimental evidence of serotonin’s role in early brain development and underscores the need for careful consideration and individualized care in prescribing antidepressants during pregnancy.

Key Facts:

  1. Serotonin’s Role in Brain Development: The study identifies how serotonin directly influences the development of the prefrontal cortex during pregnancy, altering excitatory synaptic connections, which can lead to mental health disorders.
  2. First Evidence of Fluoxetine’s Impact: This research provides the first experimental evidence of the direct effects of fluoxetine on the developing prefrontal cortex, highlighting the drug’s ability to cross the placenta and enter breast milk.
  3. Potential for Early Intervention: Understanding the specific mechanisms by which serotonin affects brain development opens new avenues for early intervention and the creation of therapeutics targeting neurodevelopmental disorders related to serotonin dysregulation.

Source: University of Colorado

A new study published in Nature Communications provides direct evidence that antidepressant use during pregnancy can impact a child’s brain development and contribute to the risk of mental health disorders later in life.

The study, led by researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, focused on the effect of fluoxetine, commonly used in medications such as Prozac and Sarafem for treating depression and perinatal depression, on a developing prefrontal cortex.

Since fluoxetine works by increasing the levels of serotonin in the brain, the researchers looked at the impact serotonin has on prefrontal cortex development in a fetus.

“While it is known that serotonin plays a role in the brain development, the mechanisms responsible for this influence, specifically in the prefrontal cortex, have been unclear.

“The prefrontal cortex, the most evolved brain region, plays a central role in highest-order cognition, which is why we focused our study on finding the answer from this brain area,” said lead author Won Chan Oh, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacology at CU Anschutz.

Oh and his student, Roberto Ogelman, a neuroscience PhD candidate, found serotonin directly influences nascent and immature excitatory synaptic connections in the prefrontal cortex, which if disrupted or dysregulated during early development can contribute to various mental health disorders. 

“Our research uncovers the specific processes at the synaptic level that explain how serotonin contributes to the development of this important brain region during early-life fluoxetine exposure,” adds Oh.

“We are the first to provide experimental evidence of the direct impact of serotonin on the developing prefrontal cortex when fluoxetine is taken during pregnancy, because fluoxetine not only crosses the placenta but also passes into breast milk.”

To study the effect, the researchers looked at the impact of deficiency and surplus of serotonin on brain development in mice. They discovered that serotonin is not just involved in overall brain function but also has a specific role in influencing how individual connections between neurons change and adapt, contributing to the brain’s ability to learn and adjust.

“Understanding this correlation has the potential to help with early intervention and the development of new therapeutics for neurodevelopmental disorders involving serotonin dysregulation,” said Oh.

The researchers say healthcare professionals should be involved in decision-making around individualized care for pregnant women, including discussing the benefits and side effects of antidepressants and possible non-pharmacological interventions for postpartum depression.

The researchers plan to continue studying the impact of fluoxetine, next examining its impact on a developing teenage brain.

How does shape a toddler’s brain development?

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Playing is crucial for enhancing a toddler’s brain development, according to a leading child development expert. Drawing from recent discoveries in neuroscience and child development, Dr. Jacqueline Harding, an authority on early childhood from Middlesex University, explains that a child’s brain not only desires play but flourishes because of it.

“It seems that the young child’s body and brain are literally designed to be playful, and this is crucial for its development,” explains Dr. Harding in a media release. “At this very moment, his brain also starts to ‘jump’ and light up with joy as connections between neurons make impressive progress. Does this experience count as learning? Absolutely yes.”

In her new book, “The Brain that Loves to Play,” Dr. Harding blurs the traditional lines separating play and learning. She emphasizes play’s pivotal role in early education and the overall growth of a child. The book serves as a contribution to the evolving conversation on the care, education, and parenting of children from birth to five years-old.

Toddler surrounded by toys
A child development expert says a child’s brain not only desires play but flourishes because of it. (Photo by Yuri Shirota on Unsplash)

According to the researcher, the neural pathways stimulated by play, particularly before age six, have a profound and enduring influence on a child’s future possibilities. She warns against straying from a child’s natural inclination to play, suggesting that it could rob them of essential learning experiences and growth opportunities.

“The young child’s brain and body are intrinsically designed for play. Children are naturally wired to play and any sustained deviation from this masterful design comes at a price,” Dr. Harding emphasizes.

The book also counters the longstanding perception of play as mere child’s recreation. Instead, she champions a comprehensive approach, recognizing play as a core element of child development. Additionally, Harding addresses the hurdles posed by the COVID pandemic, particularly its long-term effects on child mental health.

“As we emerge from a pandemic which has significantly impacted all our lives, there can be no better place to begin than considering how we can rewrite the narrative through support in the early years,” says Harding.

The book doesn’t claim to be a comprehensive account of scientific research. Instead, it’s a hands-on guide for adults keen on grasping the significance of play in the development of young children.

“It is my belief that a greater awareness of how we can support children is vital for all who care for young children,” Dr. Harding concludes.

BPA Plastic and Brain Development

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Bisphenol A, more commonly known as BPA, is a chemical that helps to shape plastic, but when it comes to shaping brain development, it may be setting you up for brain dysfunction.

As I put together materials for my Brain Masterclass and wrote my best-selling book You Can Fix Your Brain: Just 1 Hour a Week to the Best Memory, Productivity, and Sleep You’ve Ever Had, BPA was a toxin that I could not ignore.

BPA has a cumulative effect. One of the problems is that BPA is one of the most highly produced chemicals in the world. It is a known xenoestrogen (Great scrabble word!). It means it is a hormone disruptor that mimics estrogen by binding to estrogen receptor sites in your body. This means your body receives BPA thinking it is estrogen, except instead it is a toxic chemical weakening your body’s ability to function properly. This includes BPA’s interference with brain development during critical stages of your life.

We’ve crossed a threshold of toxic chemicals. It used to be that we would test to see if you had BPA in your urine. It’s a waste of time and a waste of money to do that anymore. Everybody has BPA in their urine now. Infants are born with BPA in their bloodstream because they got it from their mother.

Let me repeat that; infants are born with BPA in their bloodstream.

That’s the frightening reality we live in. Babies are being born with toxic burden — or at least well on their way to it. So rather than waste time and money checking to see if it is in their urine, we now skip straight to checking to see if they are pumping out antibodies to BPA, meaning they’ve crossed the line, and their immune system will not tolerate it anymore. That’s when their immune system is trying to fight BPA. 

In other words, upon entry into this world, your child may already be on the autoimmune spectrum, primed for a litany of diseases. It’s not exactly the dream any of us wish for our children.

Up until recently, we poured fuel on the fire with baby bottles and sippy cups made with BPA. As parents began to hear whispers of BPA not being good for their children, industry shifted out of sheer demand.

What was all the fuss about? BPA carries an increased risk on a baby’s brain development that could lead to long-term effects. This endocrine disruptor was also linked to an increased risk of cancer, diabetes, and obesity, just to mention a few. The concerns were not new. Awareness was.

Unsuspecting mothers were inadvertently increasing the amounts of BPA their children got by heating up baby bottles. How much? Up to 55-fold! As BPA plastic came in contact with hot, boiling water or formula, the BPA chemical leached out into the liquid. Innocent babies everywhere then ingested BPA, putting them at risk for impaired brain development.

These concerns led to bans in BPA use in baby bottles (and sippy cups) in the United States (2012), Malaysia (2012), Europe (2011), Canada (2008), China (2011), and South Africa (2011). Those warm bottles of formula intended to nourish tiny minds were potentially having a cumulative negative effect on their brain development, as well as other areas of their health.

While this substance is off the list for baby bottles in many areas now, it can still be found in the tupperware you store (and perhaps heat) your food in, the toys your toddler plays with and puts in their mouth, and the lining of water pipes that you use every day. Over time, this can potentially impact your brain development.

As the consumer began to associate the term “BPA” as negative, the free market created it’s sisters of destruction: BPS and BPF. So the safety of the BPA-free label may not imply it is any safer than its previous plastic. 

Exposing Your Child to BPA May Harm Their Brain Development

Exposure to BPA at an early age appears to put a child at risk both for long-term diseases later in life as well as crippling healthy development of their brain at a critical stage. 

A recent study reported that BPA may suppress genes necessary in the early development of a child’s nervous system, setting them up for neurodevelopmental disorders. In other words, BPA negatively impacts brain development. 

Dana C. Dolinoy from Durham, North Carolina conducted a study The agouti mouse model: an epigenetic biosensor for nutritional and environmental alterations on the fetal epigenome. 

Epigenetics is defined as the study of changes in organisms caused by modification of gene expression rather than alteration of the genetic code itself. In terms of nature vs nurture, epigenetics is nurture. Genetics is nature. 

We cannot change the genetic codes that we are born with. Epigenetics are the triggers that cause the genetic codes to be expressed or not expressed. A common expression used to describe this is “genetics load the gun; epigenetics pulls the trigger.”

In a study, they fed BPA to pregnant mice and examined the neurons in the brains of their offspring. The baby mice who were exposed to BPA had changes in how their genetic coding was expressed. It influenced the DNA methylation in the brain neurons.  In other words, BPA interfered with their brain development.

Dana C. Dolinoy cites in her study that “Throughout the years, the definition of epigenetics has evolved, while the number of molecular phenomena involving epigenetic pathways has grown. Recently, yet another metaphor was put forward to describe the field of epigenetics as a ‘bridge between genotype and phenotype’ that alters gene expression without changing the underlying DNA sequence. The notion that early environmental exposures interact with epigenetic gene regulation to influence phenotype and adult disease suggests that epigenetic gene regulation serves as a link between nature and nurture.”(1) 

This is what we witnessed in exposing developing fetuses of mice to BPA.

Brain Development Problems Seen From BPA Use

Here are a few ways you may see your brain development impacted:

  • Behavioral Problems – In addition to heart disease, reproductive disorders, and obesity, higher levels of BPA in urine are associated with hyperactivity, behavioral problems, and ADHD.
  • Disruption of Neural Circuits – BPA inhibits KCC2 from lowering chloride levels in the brain. KCC2 transports chloride from the brain; however, if chloride levels are too high, the connections between the neurons and synapses don’t form or connect properly.
  • Anxiety and Depression – BPA is an endocrine disruptor. Prenatal exposure to high levels of BPA is associated with anxiety and depression at a young age, specifically in boys. To learn how anxiety and depression can also be a result of poor gut health, see my blog Depression and Anxiety May Be Linked to Your Gut Health.

As I mentioned earlier, BPA is one of the most commonly used chemicals produced worldwide. Avoiding BPA is one of many steps you can take to protect your brain health at every age. Some of the places BPA lurks may just surprise you.

You can find BPA in these common places:

  • Plastic bottles
  • Water bottles
  • Tupperware
  • Sports equipment
  • CDs and DVDs
  • Food and beverage cans
  • Sales receipts
  • Medical equipment

Swapping out BPA Plastic for Better Brain Health

Remember when I talked about genetics and epigenetics? Epigenetics was pulling the trigger of a loaded gun. This puts the power in your hands — prevention is your best friend.

Let me be crystal clear about this: Genetics do not imply that an autoimmune condition is your destiny. You are born with those genes you carry for life. They may never be triggered and get “expressed.” And there is no shortage to the plethora of diseases you could get — but you don’t.

It’s the lifestyle choices, the toxins, the EMFs, the repeated exposures to foods we are sensitive to, and heavy metals that ignite certain gene expressions that lead to autommune conditions. This is great news because that means that we have a lot of control over whether we ever get an autoimmune condition in the first place.

As I detail in my Brain Masterclass, you can reduce toxic burdens (like BPA exposure), clean up your environment, remove heavy metals from your system, reduce EMF (Electromagnetic Frequency) exposure from devices like microwaves, cell phones, and wireless devices in order to minimize your risk of triggering those bad genes. 

For those of you who are healthy, it allows you to maintain optimal health. For those of you who are already on the autoimmune spectrum, reigning this in can be a game changer for symptoms. So let’s look at some simple ways you can reduce our BPA exposure and protect your brain health.

Be mindful (of your brain) when making these purchases.

  • Coffee lids — When you get that travel cup of coffee to go, that plastic lid on top of your coffee is being heated by the warmth of your hot beverage. Then, that condensation drips back down into your drink, taking with it the BPA that the heat leached out. Remove the lid.
  • Water bottles — Help yourself and the environment, and use a reusable water bottle. You can simply use a glass bottle, but if you prefer something that won’t break, opt for a stainless steel water bottle that does not contain any plastic lining on the inside.
  • Fruits and vegetables — Purchase whole foods in the produce or freezer aisle. Avoid canned foods.
  • Tupperware, pitchers, and cups — Swap out your plastic kitchenware for glass, porcelain or stainless steel containers for hot foods and liquids. And NEVER heat your food in plastic containers. Just get rid of them.
  • Toys — Purchase organic toys made from natural products — Dolls don’t need to be plastic.

It’s all about making a simple paradigm shift when you purchase items.

Over the years, I have found that people seeking good health get overwhelmed at the number of improvements they need to make in their lives. You don’t have to kill yourself trying to get better. You don’t have to do everything today.

Low B12 and High Folic Acid Impacts Fetal Brain Development

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Summary: New research in mice suggests that too much folic acid, a synthetic form of folate, may impact brain development. Imbalances in folic acid and vitamin B12 can alter neural development, raising questions about dietary fortification.

While folic acid has reduced neural tube defects, concerns arise about its role in the rising rates of neurodevelopmental conditions. Researchers urge caution and further study to determine optimal folate intake and its effects on brain health.

Key Facts:

  1. Folic acid, added to foods and vitamins, has reduced neural tube defects but may have unintended consequences on brain development.
  2. High folic acid or low vitamin B12 intake led to neural development changes in mice, impacting interconnections in the cerebral cortex.
  3. Natural folate (folinic acid) showed minimal effects, emphasizing the complexity of folate’s interaction with the body.

Source: UC Davis

Folate is a B vitamin and a necessary nutrient to prevent neural tube defects, such as spina bifida. Folic acid, a synthetic form of folate, has been added to vitamins, breakfast cereals and other products in the U.S. and more than 80 other countries to ensure pregnant women get adequate amounts. However, new research suggests there may be such a thing as too much folic acid.

In a study published in Communications Biology, a Nature publication, researchers from the UC Davis School of Medicine and the UC Davis MIND Institute showed that imbalances in folic acid and vitamin B12 can alter brain development in mice. 

“There’s no doubt the introduction of folic acid diet fortification has been beneficial, substantially lowering the incidence of neural tube defects,” said Ralph Green, distinguished professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and co-senior author of the study.

This shows a pregnant woman.
However, the timing of folate during pregnancy is tricky. The neural tube forms early in pregnancy and usually closes about 28 days after conception. This meant targeted folate supplements would likely arrive too late. Credit: Neuroscience News

“However, too much folic acid may have detrimental impacts on brain development, and that’s something we need to sort out.”

Concerns about folate deficiencies and neural tube defects, which can lead to stillbirths, paralysis, cognitive disabilities and other issues, peaked in the 1990s. At the time, the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revised guidelines to ensure people who were pregnant got the necessary amounts. Green played an important role in developing these standards.

However, the timing of folate during pregnancy is tricky. The neural tube forms early in pregnancy and usually closes about 28 days after conception. This meant targeted folate supplements would likely arrive too late.

The solution was to fortify foods and vitamins with folic acid, the synthetic form of folate, to ensure pregnant people received enough. In the decades since folic acid fortification began, neural tube defects have declined dramatically.

During that same time, the prevalence of neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) increased. Epilepsy rates rose as well. The researchers wanted to explore whether there is a possible link between these increases and excessive folic acid.

Green notes that folic acid fortification may be an imperfect solution.

“The food industry has been adding folic acid to breakfast cereals, snack foods, and vitamins, and that has likely increased intake above recommended guidelines,” Green said.

“The safe upper limit for folate is 1,000 micrograms per day. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data showed that a substantial percentage of women’s diets were above that limit.”

The consequences of high folic acid and low B12

Green and colleagues have been studying this issue for several years. In a 2020 paper published in Cerebral Cortex, the group showed that both folate overabundance and deficiency could cause neurodevelopmental issues in mice.

In the new study, the team investigated the effects of high folic acid intake, B12 deficiency and high amounts of a natural folate — folinic acid — that may act differently than folic acid. The body needs B12 to recycle and adequately use folate. 

The investigators supplied a group of mice before and during pregnancy with a controlled diet containing normal levels of folic acid and B12 and four separate groups with diets that either included:

  • high folic acid
  • low B12
  • high folic acid with low B12
  • high folinic acid

Using multiple imaging techniques, the offspring of these pregnancies were examined with a focus on the development of the cerebral cortex, the primary brain structure associated with important cognitive and emotional functions. The cerebral cortex is central to a range of psychiatric disorders, particularly those that first appear in childhood.

“These different dietary conditions appear to influence the way neurons arise in the developing brain,” said Konstantinos Zarbalis, professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, faculty member of the UC Davis MIND Institute and co-senior author.

“With high levels of folic acid or B12 deficiency, there was a change in neural development. Cortical neurons that usually emerge during a later stage of brain development were produced over a longer period of time and required a longer period to settle in and assume their proper position in the developing brain. In addition, both high folic acid and B12 deficiency appear to cause many neurons to develop fewer interconnections,” Zarbalis said.

The exception was folinic acid, the natural folate. Even though it was given at the same high levels as folic acid, there were virtually no consequences to developing mouse brains.

As researchers expected, the group given a diet that combined high folic acid with low B12 showed the most pronounced neurodevelopmental abnormalities.

While these results are intriguing and may eventually be linked to human pathology, the authors stress the need for abundant caution. Animal models differ from humans in key ways, including metabolic rates and the efficiency with which they process folic acid.

In ongoing work, the team is investigating the effects of folic acid and B12 in human brain organoids (3D cell clusters that incorporate several neural cell types). This research may provide better insights into how these nutrients affect human biology.

“There’s a lot of complexity in how the body responds to folic acid, vitamin B12 and folinic acid. We are at the early stages of determining how these elements interact,” Zarbalis said. “Ultimately, we would like to find a definitive answer for how much folate, and what form, is optimal to avoid neural tube defects and other potential brain health issues.”

Co-authors on the study include Lyvin Tat, Noemi Cannizzaro, Zachary Schaaf and Shailaja Racherla of UC Davis, and Teodoro Bottiglieri of Baylor Scott & White Research Institute.

Funding: Funding was provided in part by the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (R01HD107489), the National Institute for Mental Health (R21MH115347), Shriners Hospitals for Children and the MIND Institute’s Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center (funded by the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (P50HD103526).

Abstract

Prenatal folic acid and vitamin B12 imbalance alter neuronal morphology and synaptic density in the mouse neocortex

Previous reports have provided evidence that insufficient or excessive maternal folic acid (FA) intake during pregnancy can alter neurodevelopment of the offspring by modulating prenatal neurogenesis.

Furthermore, our earlier work in a mouse model confirmed long-term structural changes at the cellular level of either deficient or excessive FA supply by comparably reducing dendritic arborization of cortical projection neurons.

Here, we report that excessive amounts of FA decrease arborization of deep layer projection neurons, but not upper layer neurons and that reduced complexity of deep layer neurons is not observed when folic acid is replaced by folinic acid, a stable reduced form of folate.

In addition, deficiency of B12, a vitamin that critically regulates folate metabolism, causes even more marked decreases in neuronal arborization in both deep and upper layer neurons and particularly in combination with FA excess.

Furthermore, both FA excess and B12 deficiency affect synaptic density and morphology.

Our findings point to neurodevelopmental risks associated with insufficient amounts of prenatal B12, particularly in association with high levels of FA intake, suggesting that the neurodevelopmental program is sensitive to an imbalance in the status of these interacting micronutrients.

Pollution Alters Infant Microbiome, Influencing Brain Development

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Summary: Exposure to air pollution within the first 6 months of life alters a child’s microbiome, increasing the risk for allergies, diabetes, obesity, and influencing brain development.

Source: University of Colorado

Exposure to air pollution in the first six months of life impacts a child’s inner world of gut bacteria, or microbiome, in ways that could increase risk of allergies, obesity and diabetes, and even influence brain development, suggests new University of Colorado Boulder research.

The study, published this month in the journal Gut Microbes, is the first to show a link between inhaled pollutants—such as those from traffic, wildfires and industry—and changes in infant microbial health during this critical window of development.

Previous research by the same group found similar results in young adults.

“This study adds to the growing body of literature showing that air pollution exposure, even during infancy, may alter the gut microbiome, with important implications for growth and development,” said senior author Tanya Alderete, assistant professor of Integrative Physiology at CU Boulder.

At birth, an infant hosts little resident bacteria. Over the first two to three years of life, exposure to mother’s milk, solid food, antibiotics and other environmental influences shape which microorganisms take hold.

Those microbes, and the metabolites, or byproducts, they produce when they break down food or chemicals in the gut, influence a host of bodily systems that shape appetite, insulin sensitivity, immunity, mood and cognition.

While many are beneficial, some microbiome compositions have been associated with Chrohn’s disease, asthma, type 2 diabetes, and other chronic illnesses.

“The microbiome plays a role in nearly every physiological process in the body, and the environment that develops in those first few years of life sticks with you,” said first author Maximilian Bailey, who graduated in May with a master’s in Integrative Physiology and is now a medical student at Stanford University.

Boosting inflammation

For the study, the researchers obtained fecal samples from 103 healthy, primarily breast-fed Latino infants enrolled in the Southern California Mother’s Milk Study and used genetic sequencing to analyze them.

Using their street addresses and data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality System, which records hourly data from monitoring systems, they estimated exposure to PM2.5 and PM10 (fine inhalable particles from things like factories, wildfires and construction sites) and Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), a gas largely emitted from cars.

“Overall, we saw that ambient air pollution exposure was associated with a more inflammatory gut-microbial profile, which may contribute to a whole host of future adverse health outcomes,” said Alderete.

For instance, infants with the highest exposure to PM2.5 had 60% less Phascolarctobacterium, a beneficial bacterium known to decrease inflammation, support gastrointestinal health and aid in neurodevelopment. Those with the highest exposure to PM10 had 85% more of the microorganism Dialister, which is associated with inflammation.

Disadvantaged communities at higher risk

In a previous study, Alderete found that pregnant Latino women exposed to higher levels of air pollution during pregnancy have babies who grow unusually fast in the first month after birth, putting them at risk for obesity and related diseases later in life.

Infants are particularly vulnerable to the health hazards of air pollution because they breathe faster and their gut microbiome is just taking shape.

“This makes early life a critical window where exposure to air pollution may have disproportionately deleterious health effects,” they write.

Racial minorities and low-income communities, who tend to work, live and attend school in regions closer to busy highways or factories, are at even greater risk. One 2018 Environmental Protection Agency study found that communities of color are exposed to as much as 1.5 times more airborne pollutants than their white counterparts.

This shows a baby's hand in an adults hand
At birth, an infant hosts little resident bacteria.

“Our findings highlight the importance of addressing the impact of pollution on disadvantaged communities and point to additional steps all families can take to protect their health,” said Alderete, who hopes her research will influence policymakers to move schools and affordable housing projects away from pollution sources.

The authors caution that more research is needed to determine whether changes in the gut in infancy have lasting impacts, and just what those are. More studies are underway.

Meantime, Alderete advises everyone to take these steps to reduce their exposure to both indoor and outdoor pollutants:

  • Avoid walking outdoors in high traffic zones
  • Consider a low-cost air-filtration system, particularly for rooms children spend a lot of time in
  • If you are cooking, open the windows
  • And for new moms, breastfeed for as long as possible

“Breast milk is a fantastic way to develop a healthy microbiome and may help offset some of the adverse effects from environmental exposures,” Alderete said.

Abstract

Postnatal exposure to ambient air pollutants is associated with the composition of the infant gut microbiota at 6-months of age

Epidemiological studies in adults have shown that exposure to ambient air pollution (AAP) is associated with the composition of the adult gut microbiome, but these relationships have not been examined in infancy.

We aimed to determine if 6-month postnatal AAP exposure was associated with the infant gut microbiota at 6 months of age in a cohort of Latino mother-infant dyads from the Southern California Mother’s Milk Study (n = 103).

We estimated particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) exposure from birth to 6-months based on residential address histories. We characterized the infant gut microbiota using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing at 6-months of age. At 6-months, the gut microbiota was dominated by the phyla Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria.

Our results show that, after adjusting for important confounders, postnatal AAP exposure was associated with the composition of the gut microbiota. As an example, PM10 exposure was positively associated with Dialister, Dorea, Acinetobacter, and Campylobacter while PM2.5 was positively associated with Actinomyces.

Further, exposure to PM10 and PM2.5 was inversely associated with Alistipes and NO2 exposure was positively associated with Actinomyces, Enterococcus, Clostridium, and Eubacterium. Several of these taxa have previously been linked with systemic inflammation, including the genera Dialister and Dorea.

This study provides the first evidence of significant associations between exposure to AAP and the composition of the infant gut microbiota, which may have important implications for future infant health and development.

PUT THE CELLPHONE AWAY: FRAGMENTED BABY CARE CAN AFFECT BRAIN DEVELOPMENT

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Businesswoman holding her healthy crying baby talking on the phone. (stock image) Credit: © WavebreakMediaMicro / Fotolia

Businesswoman holding her healthy crying baby talking on the phone.

Mothers, put down your smartphones when caring for your babies! That’s the message from University of California, Irvine researchers, who have found that fragmented and chaotic maternal care can disrupt proper brain development, which can lead to emotional disorders later in life.

While the study was conducted with rodents, its findings imply that when mothers are nurturing their infants, numerous everyday interruptions — even those as seemingly harmless as phone calls and text messages — can have a long-lasting impact.

Dr. Tallie Z. Baram and her colleagues at UCI’s Conte Center on Brain Programming in Adolescent Vulnerabilities show that consistent rhythms and patterns of maternal care seem to be crucially important for the developing brain, which needs predictable and continuous stimuli to ensure the growth of robust neuron networks. Study results appear today in Translational Psychiatry.

The UCI researchers discovered that erratic maternal care of infants can increase the likelihood of risky behaviors, drug seeking and depression in adolescence and adult life. Because cellphones have become so ubiquitous and users have become so accustomed to frequently checking and utilizing them, the findings of this study are highly relevant to today’s mothers and babies … and tomorrow’s adolescents and adults.

“It is known that vulnerability to emotional disorders, such as depression, derives from interactions between our genes and the environment, especially during sensitive developmental periods,” said Baram, the Danette “Dee Dee” Shepard Chair in Neurological Studies.

“Our work builds on many studies showing that maternal care is important for future emotional health. Importantly, it shows that it is not how much maternal care that influences adolescent behavior but the avoidance of fragmented and unpredictable care that is crucial. We might wish to turn off the mobile phone when caring for baby and be predictable and consistent.”

The UCI team — which included Hal Stern, the Ted & Janice Smith Family Foundation Dean of Information & Computer Sciences — studied the emotional outcomes of adolescent rats reared in either calm or chaotic environments and used mathematical approaches to analyze the mothers’ nurturing behaviors.

Despite the fact that quantity and typical qualities of maternal care were indistinguishable in the two environments, the patterns and rhythms of care differed drastically, which strongly influenced how the rodent pups developed. Specifically, in one environment, the mothers displayed “chopped up” and unpredictable behaviors.

During adolescence, their offspring exhibited little interest in sweet foods or peer play, two independent measures of the ability to experience pleasure. Known as anhedonia, the inability to feel happy is often a harbinger of later depression. In humans, it may also drive adolescents to seek pleasure from more extreme stimulation, such as risky driving, alcohol or drugs.

Why might disjointed maternal care generate this problem with the pleasure system? Baram said that the brain’s dopamine-receptor pleasure circuits are not mature in newborns and infants and that these circuits are stimulated by predictable sequences of events, which seem to be critical for their maturation. If infants are not sufficiently exposed to such reliable patterns, their pleasure systems do not mature properly, provoking anhedonia.

With her UCI team, Baram is currently studying human mothers and their infants. Video analysis of care, sophisticated imaging technology to measure brain development, and psychological and cognitive testing are being employed to more fully understand this issue. The goal is to see whether what was discovered in rodents applies to people. If so, then strategies to limit chopped-up and unpredictable patterns of maternal care might prove helpful in preventing emotional problems in teenagers.

Old Brains Become Young Again In Neuroplasticity Study

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Can an old brain learn new tricks?

The answer could soon be a resounding “yes.”

AGEING WOMAN

Scientists from the University of California at Irvine may have found a way to restore the youthful flexibility of the still-developing brain. In a study on mice recently published in the journal Neuron, the researchers were able to re-activate a younger neural state in an older brain.

While the findings are preliminary, they could one day lead to new treatments for developmental disorders — and, eventually, perhaps even a method for rejuvenating the brain’s youthful ability to learn, remember and heal itself.

When we’re young, the brain is constantly reshaping itself and making new synaptic connections based on learning and experiences, in a process known as neuroplasticity. The brain lose some of this youthful plasticity as we age, and we become less capable of making new neural connections.

Rewiring the brain. The scientists transplanted embryonic neurons that express the neurotransmitter GABA from the brains of younger mice into those of older mice with a major visual impairment. GABA, which tends to decrease with age, is a chemical in the brain that helps with important functions such as vision and motor control and may play a role in controlling fear and anxiety.

In the study, the researchers used GABA transplantation to repair the visual system in a group of mice with amblyopia, a condition that prevents one eye from focusing. In a young brain, the visual system is being constantly rewired by new visual experiences — but when that process is impaired during youth, amblyopia can result.

The GABA neurons increased plasticity in the brains of adult mice, allowing for extensive rewiring and the creation of new neural connections — comparable to that which occurs during important stages of brain development.

“We found that the transplanted cells dramatically enhanced the plasticity of neuronal connections in the host visual cortex,” Dr. Sunil Gandhi, the study’s lead author, told The Huffington Post in an email. “The new plasticity occurred in the recipients when the donor animal’s critical period would have happened. So, in effect, we rejuvenated the plasticity of connections in the recipient brain.”

Transplanting the GABA neurons restored normal eyesight in the mice — suggesting that a wealth of new brain connections had been formed.

“Several weeks after transplantation… the amblyopic mice started to see with normal visual acuity,” Melissa Davis, a postdoctoral fellow and another author of the study,said in a statement.

Oh, to be young again. The findings are a major first step towards scientists’ ability to rehabilitate and rejuvenate the brain through procedures that activate plasticity in older, injured or developmentally impaired brains.

While this isn’t quite a fountain of youth for the brain, the researchers are optimistic that the findings could open up new treatment possibilities for a range of neurological disorders, as well as avenues for future research to increase our understanding of how the brain develops.

Through transplanting GABA neurons, scientists may be able to help treat developmental brain disorders like autism and schizophrenia, and to help the brain recover from injury.

“The findings raise the promise of using GABA neuron transplantation to enhance the retraining of the adult brain following injury,” Gandhi said.

ASD And Circumcision Linked, With Thoughts Of Brain Development As A Factor

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A new study from the Statens Serum Institut, in Denmark, has found a link between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and circumcision in boys aged 0 to 9 years. Though no specific mechanism has been established, the team speculates that a malformed stress response, stemming from the procedure, may alter or delay brain development.

Just within the last decade, ASD rates have more than doubled in the U.S. Without a single cause to pin it to, science has seen a rush to draw links between the disorder and a range of environmental, social, and genetic factors. The best that ASD researchers can surmise at this point is it comes from some mix of the three, though in which proportions and at what time still remains unknown.

“Our investigation was prompted by the combination of recent animal findings linking a single painful injury to lifelong deficits in stress response and a study showing a strong, positive correlation between a country’s neonatal male circumcision rate and its prevalence of ASD in boys,” said Professor Morten Frisch of the Statens Serum Institut, who led the research.

The team tracked more than 340,000 boys between 1994 and 2013. Nearly 5,000 cases of ASD were diagnosed during that time. Regardless of background, the team explains, “circumcised boys were more likely than intact boys to develop ASD before age 10 years.” What’s more, “risk was particularly high for infantile autism before age 5 years.”

Controversies surrounding circumcision are as fraught with uncertainty as the science behind the practice. Much of the data on circumcision is conflicting, as one study last year found the benefits outweighed the risks 100 to one and was, as the researchers put it, “equivalent to childhood vaccination.” A separate investigation put the chances of newborn boys getting a urinary tract infection at 50/50 if they stayed uncircumcised.

But while the U.S. circumcision rates are largely declining as the decades pass, worldwide the story is much different. Without access to the same anesthetics and trusted procedures, circumcision in foreign countries tends to earn a less favorable opinion among the public. By the World Health Organization’s most recent estimate, approximately 33 percent of the world’s males aged 15 years or older are circumcised. That number may be so low due to overwhelming beliefs that the practice equates to genital mutilation, while stateside it may be considered more comparable to dental braces.

In the latest study, Frisch and his colleague Jacob Simonsen relied on past research that suggests early pain in neonates has been shown to have long-lasting effects in pain perception, which crop up at greater rates in kids with ASD. “Possible mechanisms linking early life pain and stress to an increased risk of neurodevelopmental, behavioral, or psychological problems in later life remain incompletely conceptualized.” Frisch said. The findings are slightly complicated by earlier work that found autism emerges in utero, which suggests circumcision could only intensify a preexisting deficiency.

circumcision

At any rate, the findings may hold great promise for other countries to adopt formal anesthetic protocol to avoid, or at least minimize, the pain children experience. “Given the widespread practice of non-therapeutic circumcision in infancy and childhood around the world,” Frisch concluded, “our findings should prompt other researchers to examine the possibility that circumcision trauma in infancy or early childhood might carry an increased risk of serious neurodevelopmental and psychological consequences.”

Source: Frisch M, Simonsen J. Ritual circumcision and risk of autism spectrum disorder in 0- to 9-year-old boys: national cohort study in Denmark. JRSM. 2015.

Environmental Toxins Linked to Rise in Autism.

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Story at-a-glance
Mounting research indicates that brain disorders are the result of excessive exposure to toxins from multiple sources, including the mother, while in utero
One recent study found that for every one percent increase in genital malformations in newborn males within a particular county, there was an associated 283 percent increase in autism
The correlation between genital malformation and autism offer strong support for the notion that autism is the result of parental overexposure to environmental toxins
Fluoride alone, which is still being added to many public water supplies around the US, can contribute to a seven-point drop in a child’s IQ score, on average
When the US National Toxicology Program was enacted in 1978, some 62,000 chemicals that were already in use were simply grandfathered in, even though they’d never been tested for toxicity

Environmental Toxins

Three decades ago, when I was still in medical school, autism affected one in 10,000 children.1, 2 What changed between then and now to cause one in 50 children3 to become autistic?

Mounting research—not to mention plain logic—indicates that brain disorders are the result of excessive exposure to toxins from multiple sources—including the mother, while in utero. One 2005 study4 by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) found that blood samples from newborns contained an average of 287 toxins.

Of these, 180 are known to cause cancer in humans or animals; 217 are toxic to your brain and nervous system; and 208 have been found to cause birth defects or abnormal development in animal tests. Clearly, nothing good can come from exposure to so many toxic compounds.

Genital Malformations and Autism—The Result of Overexposure to Toxins

A more recent study, published in the journal PLOS Computational Biology,5, 6, 7, 8 last month, found that every one percent increase in genital malformations in newborn males within a particular county was associated with a 283 percent increased rate in autism.

According to the researchers, genital malformations such as micropenis, undescended testicles, and hypospadias (when the urethra forms on the underside of the penis) are signs of exposure to harmful toxins. And the correlation between genital malformation and autism in turn offer strong support for the notion that autism is the result of parental overexposure to environmental toxins.

In all, 100 million American medical records were analyzed, and rates of genital malformations and autism were assessed by county. Deviations from the nationwide baseline were interpreted as being the result of local environmental factors. According to one of the authors, Andrey Rzhetsky, Ph.D., professor of genetic medicine and human genetics at the University of Chicago:

“Autism appears to be strongly correlated with rate of congenital malformations of the genitals in males across the country. This gives an indicator of environmental load and the effect is surprisingly strong… We interpret the results of this study as a strong environmental signal.”

Interestingly, every additional $1,000 in income above the county average was also associated with a three percent increased rate in autism. Could this mean that those with higher incomes buy more household, personal care, and beauty products that turn out to be toxic?

11 Brain-Harming Culprits Identified

Last month, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai published a report identifying one dozen common chemicals (listed below) known to disrupt brain development and cause brain damage, neurological abnormalities, reduced IQ, and aggressiveness in children.9, 10 The authors call for the implementation of urgent preventive strategies to quell the trend of brain damage, stating:

“We postulate that even more neurotoxicants remain undiscovered. To control the pandemic of developmental neurotoxicity, we propose a global prevention strategy.

Untested chemicals should not be presumed to be safe to brain development, and chemicals in existing use and all new chemicals must therefore be tested for developmental neurotoxicity.

To coordinate these efforts and to accelerate translation of science into prevention, we propose the urgent formation of a new international clearinghouse.”

What many don’t realize is that there are literally tens of thousands of chemicals in use that have never been tested for safety. When the US National Toxicology Program was enacted in 1978, some 62,000 chemicals that were already in use were simply grandfathered in, even though they’d never been tested for toxicity.

The ramifications of this action is now becoming increasingly evident, and with regular intervals we realize that yet another prevalent chemical is causing harm that no one ever suspected. Bisphenol-A (BPA), used in plastic products, is just one of the most recent examples.

Lead (processed chocolate, gasoline, paint, toys, batteries, pipes, pottery, roofing materials, and cosmetics) Methylmercury (organic mercury found primarily in fish) Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) (fish, especially farmed fish)
Arsenic(a common contaminant in fluoride added to water supplies. Also found in wood preservatives and pesticides) Toluene (paint thinner, fingernail polish, and leather tanning) Manganese (drinking water and soy infant formula)
Fluoride (fluoridated tap water, dental products, some antibiotics and medicines, tea, processed foods, and drinks) Chlorpyrifos (an organophosphate insecticide used in pest bait containers) Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) (a pesticide banned in 1972 that still persists in the environment, including in the food chain)
Tetrachloroethylene (PERC)11 (dry-cleaning fabrics and metal degreasing operations) Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) (flame-retardant chemicals found in upholstery, mattresses, clothing, television, and computer housings) Ethanol
Organic Diet Is Part and Parcel of a Less Toxic Life

A recent article in The Atlantic,12 which is well worth reading in its entirety, discusses this Harvard report and offers a number of excellent quotes from the researchers with regards to how we can protect ourselves while regulatory wheels keep turning at a snail’s pace. James Hamblin writes:

“‘So you recommend that pregnant women eat organic produce?’ I asked Grandjean, a Danish-born researcher who travels around the world studying delayed effects of chemical exposure on children. ‘That’s what I advise people who ask me, yes.

It’s the best way of preventing exposure to pesticides.’ Grandjean estimates that there are about 45 organophosphate pesticides on the market, and ‘most have the potential to damage a developing nervous system.’

Landrigan had issued that same warning, unprompted, when I spoke to him the week before. ‘I advise pregnant women to try to eat organic because it reduces their exposure by 80 or 90 percent,’ he told me. “These are the chemicals I really worry about in terms of American kids, the organophosphate pesticides like chlorpyrifos.”
Fluoride and Glyphosate—Two Toxins That Need to Be Urgently Addressed

 

When you consider how pervasive those 12 toxins are (not to mention the thousands of others, which we still know little about), it’s no wonder so many children are born with severe health problems and disabilities. Fluoride alone, which is still being added to many public water supplies around the US, can contribute to a seven-point drop in a child’s IQ score, on average!13, 14

Why in the world are we still adding fluoride to water supplies? Even if ingesting fluoride had a benefit on teeth (which it clearly doesn’t), is it really worth sacrificing intelligence for fewer cavities? Fluoride isn’t the sole culprit, of course. According to a 2012 paper15 published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Americans have collectively “forfeited” a whopping 41 million IQ points as a result of lead, mercury, and pesticide exposure.

All of these brain-harming toxins also take a massive toll on aging Americans. According to recent research,16 the annual death toll from Alzheimer’s disease (a severe form of dementia) is now estimated to be 503,000, making it the third most lethal disease in the US. Approximately 200,000 of these deaths occur in those under the age of 65, who develop early onset of Alzheimer’s.

Recent research17 has also linked exposure to the pesticide dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s. The use of DDT began during the second half of World War II, when it was liberally sprayed to control diseases such as malaria and typhus. Once the war was over, it began being used as an agricultural pesticide. (Monsanto was one of more than a dozen companies that manufactured the chemical.) It was eventually banned in 1972, when the health risks revealed in the book Silent Spring led to public outcry.

The suggestion that DDT exposure may contribute to Alzheimer’s, decades after exposure, hint at what the ramifications of glyphosate are likely to be in the years to come. According to Dr. Don Huber, an expert in an area of science that relates to the toxicity of genetically engineered (GE) foods, the harmful effects of glyphosate actually surpass those of DDT! It’s quite clear that the toxicity of this weed killer has been grossly underestimated.

Glyphosate (the active ingredient in Roundup) was approved in 1974 in the US,18 and has been aggressively used since then. An estimated ONE BILLION pounds of it is used on crop fields each and every year. As with DDT, we’re now seeing research linking glyphosate exposure to dramatic jumps in disease rates, including autism. The primary difference is that the effects are showing far sooner, and appear more evidently linked than in the case of DDT.

Soy Formula Associated with Seizures in Autistic Children

In related news, a researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has found a possible link between infant soy formula and increased rates of seizures in autistic children. According to Medical News Today:19

“The study found excess seizures among girls and in the total sample of 1,949 children. The soy-seizure link reached borderline significance among boys, who comprised 87 percent of the children described in the database under study. Seizures – caused by uncontrolled electrical currents in the brain – occur in many neurological disorders including epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease, Down syndrome, and autism…

[C]hildren with autism who were fed soy formula had 2.6 times as many febrile seizures as the children fed non-soy formula in the database… [T]hat increase is worrying, [Cara] Westmark says. ‘The prevalence of autism is increasing and currently affects one American child in 88. Soy is a widespread ingredient in many food products and 25 percent of infant formulas are soy based, so this is something that needs to be studied. If the child is lactose intolerant, there are alternatives that a pediatrician can recommend.'”

Parents Beware: Infant Soy Formula Can Cause Severe Harm

This certainly isn’t the first time infant soy formula has been linked to health risks. It’s often touted as an ideal alternative for colicky babies or those who are unable to tolerate milk based formulas, but evidence actually suggests that soy formula may be one of the absolute most dangerous foods you can give your child, whether he or she is autistic or not. For starters, it’s been estimated that infants who are fed soy formula take in three to five birth control pills’ worth of estrogen every day, depending upon the particular batch of formula and whether your baby is a big eater. As a result of such astronomical amounts of this female sex hormone, infants who are fed soy formula have an increased risk of:

Infants who are fed soy formula are also at increased risk for developing behavioral problems due to the phytates found in soy, which block the absorption of essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc, all which are crucial to the proper brain and emotional development. Phytates also cause poor bone development. Besides that, soy infant formula also contains another dangerous element: manganese. While manganese is an essential nutrient found in soil and ground water, it becomes highly toxic when consumed in excess, and can adversely affect your child’s intelligence if consumed during the stage of early brain development. Last but certainly not least, the vast majority of soy grown in the US is genetically engineered soy, which has its own health risks over and above those associated with Roundup.

Other Environmental Factors That Likely Contribute to Autism

Besides overexposure to the environmental toxins already mentioned, I believe there’s a variety of other important factors that also contribute to the rise in autism spectrum disorder, including but not limited to the following. The countless possible combinations of these and other factors could help explain why there’s such a wide spectrum of autistic behavior:

Gut dysbiosis, especially in combination with vaccines and their additives like mercury (thimerosal), aluminum, and others, which are known to damage your mitochondria—the powerhouses in your body’s cells that produce energy. Your gastrointestinal system is often referred to as your “second brain,” containing some 100 million neurons—more than in either your spinal cord or your peripheral nervous system. Research by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride shows that children born with severely damaged gut flora are at a significantly increased risk of vaccine damage, which may help explain why some children develop symptoms of autism after receiving one or more childhood vaccinations while others do not.
Vitamin D deficiency. The link between vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women and the proportionate jump in autism has been highlighted by Dr. John Cannell. Vitamin D receptors appear in a wide variety of brain tissue early in the fetal development, and activated vitamin D receptors increase nerve growth in your brain. I believe vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy is a MAJOR contributing factor to autism, especially when you consider that vitamin D also helps in the detoxification of mercury. Without sufficient amounts of vitamin D, any subsequent toxic assaults—regardless of the source—will be further magnified
Electromagnetic radiation (EMR) from cell phones, cell towers, Wi-Fi devices, which can trap heavy metals inside of nerve cells, accelerate heavy metal toxicity, and hinder natural detoxification processes
Microbial toxins, such as mold. Children with autism not only have overwhelmed detoxification pathways and often heavy metal toxicity, but, according to Dr. Klinghardt, their bodies are also frequently beset by toxic microbes
How to Limit Your Chemical Exposure

There’s no doubt that most people are being exposed to too many toxic chemicals. The results are plain for all to see, as brain disorders in both the very young and the elderly are skyrocketing; not to mention that people of all ages are increasingly ravaged by chronic diseases of all kinds as well. If you want to protect your own health, and the health of your family, I believe you simply must become more vigilant about the chemicals you come into contact with on a daily basis, and this certainly includes the foods you eat.

Organically-grown, biodynamic whole foods are really the key to success here, and, as an added bonus, when you eat right, you’re also optimizing your body’s natural detoxification system, which can help eliminate toxins your body encounters from other sources. Here are a dozen recommendations that will help limit your family’s toxic exposure. Please remember that all of these become even more important if you’re pregnant or planning a pregnancy, since your toxic load will be transferred on to your child.

As much as possible, buy and eat organic produce and free-range, organic foods to reduce your exposure to agricultural chemicals. Eat mostly raw, fresh foods, steering clear of processed, prepackaged foods of all kinds. This way, you automatically avoid artificial food additives, including dangerous artificial sweeteners, food coloring, and MSG.
Rather than eating conventional or farm-raised fish, which are often heavily contaminated with PCBs and mercury, supplement with a high-quality purified krill oil, or eat fish that is wild-caught and lab tested for purity.
Store your food and beverages in glass rather than plastic, and avoid using plastic wrap and canned foods (which are often lined with BPA-containing liners).
Have your tap water tested and, if contaminants are found, install an appropriate water filter on all your faucets (even those in your shower or bath).
Only use natural cleaning products in your home.
Switch over to natural brands of toiletries such as shampoo, toothpaste, antiperspirants, and cosmetics. The Environmental Working Group has a great database20 to help you find personal care products that are free of phthalates and other potentially dangerous chemicals. I also offer one of the highest quality organic skin care lines, shampoo and conditioner, and body butter that are completely natural and safe.
Avoid using artificial air fresheners, dryer sheets, fabric softeners, or other synthetic fragrances.
Replace your non-stick pots and pans with ceramic or glass cookware.
When redoing your home, look for “green,” toxin-free alternatives in lieu of regular paint and vinyl floor coverings.
Replace your vinyl shower curtain with one made of fabric, or install a glass shower door. Most all flexible plastics, like shower curtains, contain dangerous plasticizers like phthalates.
Limit your use of drugs (prescription and over-the-counter) as much as possible. Drugs are chemicals too, and they will leave residues and accumulate in your body over time.
Avoid spraying pesticides around your home or insect repellants that contain DEET on your body. There are safe, effective, and natural alternatives out there.