Autism rates
In the past four years, the number of autism cases in California has nearly doubled. And it's not a one-time thing, either: Over the past 15 years, the number of autism cases in California has risen 634 percent. "That compares with a 79 percent increase in mental retardation cases, a 57 percent increase in epilepsy and a 66 percent increase in cerebral palsy," writes Bee reporter Dorsey Griffith.What causes it? Researches think it might be a combination between genetics and environmental factors. One study found high levels of a natural protein in newborns who developed autism, but that study won't be complete for another three years.
The natural tendency is to automatically begin thinking of possibilities, and since I've been covering a monster of a groundwater contamination lawsuit, I'm thinking, "What if it's this chemical or that chemical?" And since I still secretly want to go into genetics (though I know I won't, and am instead planning to live vicariously through my sister), I'm even more intrigued by such topics. In other words, I'm curious.
Posted by Layla at 9:51 AM, May 14, 2003
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