Autism risk linked to THIS element in drinking water

WARNING hidden danger in our homes may be killing your pet

Tap water. Credit: Sonsart/Shutterstock Images

Autism is a human behavioural condition linked with no single cause, but researchers in Denmark have discovered an association with higher levels of lithium in drinking water. April is Autism Awareness Month.

Their new study found that pregnant women in Denmark whose household tap water had higher levels of the element lithium were more likely to have kids with autism, compared to women living in areas where tap water had lower levels of this element, according to sources.

“Maternal prenatal exposure to lithium from naturally occurring drinking water sources in Denmark was associated with an increased autism spectrum disorder risk in the offspring,’ said study author Dr. Beate Ritz, a professor of neurology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. “This suggests a potential fetal neurotoxicity of lithium exposure from drinking water that needs to be further investigated.”

The findings were upheld when researchers controlled for other factors known to affect the risk of autism in pregnancy, such as maternal age and smoking status. Lithium levels increased the risk for all types of autism in this study.

Autism is diagnosed in some children and adults who experience problems with social interaction, communication and behaviour. About 1 in 36 children in the United States have the disorder, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Lithium seeps into drinking water from rocks and soil, but these levels could rise from waste in lithium batteries that are not disposed of properly in the future.

“Lithium interferes with neurodevelopment during pregnancy and early infancy,” Ritz said. A biological pathway called WNT signaling plays a role in brain development and autism, and the pathway is also affected by lithium in animal models, she noted.

Lithium levels in Denmark’s water are likely in the low to moderate range, Ritz added. But a 2021 study from the U.S. Geological Survey found that about 45% of public wells and about 37% of U.S. domestic supply wells have concentrations of lithium that may present health risks.

“It’s an interesting association, but causation is definitely not proven,” Wiznitzer told CNN. “We have to see if there’s a viable and biologically plausible mechanism by which a small amount of lithium in the water supply can somehow do this, yet pharmacologic dosing of lithium in women with bipolar disorder has not been reported to be causing increased risk of ASD.”

While more research is needed to confirm this association, Ritz suggested using filtered water and testing it for lithium levels while pregnant.

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