Gut Bacteria: A Cause of Autism?

With growing concerns over vaccines triggering autism in young toddlers, the last thing that parents want to hear is about another vaccine; however in light of ground-breaking research, a new vaccine has emerged to fight against gut bacteria which, it is said, can also fight against autism symptoms.

The gut bug known as Clostridium Boltae is said to caught disorders in the gut, which are also said to be found commonly in autistic children, with over 90% of children suffering from chronic, severe gastrointestinal symptoms and another 75% suffering from diarrhoea.

Whilst it is unclear as to why autistic children are susceptible to the bacteria, the vaccine is an attempt to reverse the effects. With autism cases rising sixfold within the past two decades, the rising concerns and sheer mystery as to why remains unclear. Whilst some researchers claim that it is the environment, others believe that the gut is the primary cause – even though they are not sure why.

The vaccine is the first of its kind that is designed to fight this type of gut bacteria. There are some suspicions that the bacteria inject toxins or metabolites into its host, which may then control or trigger the symptoms and causes of autism – in particular, regressive autism.

The downside to this vaccine is that it may take more than ten years to go through pre-clinical and human trials – longer still will be the process of making the drug marketable. It is uncertain as to whether this two-decade increase will continue to grow within the next decade.

For researchers however, this is the first – and significant – step into resolving the autistic mystery. With the vaccine able to introduce antibodies quickly for the body’s immune system to detect and identify, the toddler can be protected from the risks of intestinal infections and also, perhaps more importantly, the lifelong risk of autism. For them, it is better late than never at all.

Gut Bacteria: A Cause of Autism?

Categories: autism, autistic, autistic children, Bacteria, bowel, Children, Fight, gut bacteria, intestinal, Mental Health, Toddler, Vaccine

Toddlers and Development

The early, formative years, are very important for the development of children. This period sets us up for life and it’s important that kids are given the best and most balanced upbringing they can be, often this can mean simply making sure they get a lot of attention and encouragement. For many parents, this might not be enough though. Some kids are afflicted with various disorders or issues which can slow or otherwise negatively affect their development. In these cases it’s important to have the condition diagnosed early and to take whatever precautions or suggestions your doctor makes to heart.

 

Physical

 

Kids generally grow between 4 or 5 inches during their second year and can gain as much as five pounds. Between the years of two and three they’ll grow another 2 or 3 inches. If this isn’t the case for your child, or they were growing at this rate and then suddenly stopped doing so, then it could be a cause for concern.  Lack of proper diet or malnutrition could cause this stunting but other conditions such as heart conditions or digestive disorders might cause a lack of growth. If you notice a severe change from the norm then it’s worth contacting your doctor to make sure everything is okay.

 

Mental

 

There are all sorts of issues and problems which can slow or otherwise adversely affect a toddler’s mental development. Being born prematurely or suffering from things like meningitis can hamper and damage the development of the brain. The best way to avoid these outcomes is to be proactive and intervene early when you think there could be something wrong. Remember with almost all conditions, the earlier your doctor is brought into the picture, the easier it will be for them to diagnose and treat the condition.

 

Psychological

 

The best way to encourage psychological development in your kids is to shower them with love and affection. Even those with disorders such as autism will benefit from this and with the right amount of encouragement and love they’ll keep progressing.

Toddlers and Development

Categories: Advice, Development, Toddler

Baby Throwing

If you’ve got a child at 18 months or just over then you’ll be well aware of the often disconcerting habit of hurling things from their cots. It can be terrifying the first few times parents hear a strange clattering from their child’s room but it can quickly become slightly frustrating. What you might not realise is that hurling things in generally is important to your child’s development and their understanding of the world around them.

 

It’s hard to imagine because most of us won’t remember anywhere near that far into our pasts, but we have to learn everything. When we’re born we lack the fine motor control to pick up objects and we lack the coordination to throw them. At around 18months babies have developed enough to be able to carry out both of these activities. Part of exploring their environment will be throwing things around. It’s a natural and normal thing for them to do and providing you don’t have anything which can shatter or break in or around your baby’s room then it shouldn’t be an issue.

 

Things like gravity will seem obvious to us but to a baby who’s totally new to everything, they’ll have very little understanding of it. Throwing things will show how this force works and also how being hurled through the air and then landing will affect the object. Some will smash, others may break while heavy things will make a loud noise and soft things will make a quiet one.
If you’re getting a little tired of the constant clatter of toys or whatever flying out of your baby’s cot then try replacing anything noisy or heavy with soft toys. Your baby will be able to throw those all they like and it won’t make nearly as much, if any, noise.

Baby Throwing

Categories: Advice, Throwing, Toddler