What Causes Autism in Babies

Autism is amongst the common developmental disorders in children. Recently, there has been a lot of awareness amongst parents regarding autism. As a result, this disorder can now be detected at quite an early age, sometimes even as early as 6 months. Early detection of autism in babies offers a wide range of treatment options. Besides, success rate for treatments is also very high, when detected at an early age. In this article, we are going to understand various characteristics of autism and its causes.

What Causes Autism in Babies

This is a neuro-developmental disorder which is a result of faulty wiring in brain. A part of brain which deals with emotional and social development is wired differently in people suffering from autism. In children, autism is very difficult to detect until the age of 3. However, vigilant parents may spot the symptoms in babies at a young age of 3 to 6 months. Detailed list of symptoms is given later in this article. Many people sometimes mistake autism with mental retardation. Although, most autistic children with have a normal IQ, some autistic children may be mentally retarded as well.

Causes of autism in children are yet unknown to medical science. However, genetic predisposition and environmental factors are believed to be prime cause. Autism is known to run in families. Besides, boys are four times more likely to inherit the disorder than girls. Autism is not a work of a single gene, but 5 to 20 genes are collectively said to be responsible for the development of autism. Sometimes, this condition is triggered by an environmental factor. This may include air pollution or lead or mercury deposition in the body. Sometimes, a harmful substance ingested by mother during pregnancy may also cause autism in babies. Incidentally, older parents are more likely to give birth to autistic children. Autism may be present at birth or it may develop later, due to a trigger.

Symptoms of Autism in Babies

Autistic babies may not seem any different from normal babies at a first glance. However, those who have parenting experience may quickly detect abnormal behavior. Although, it is true that all babies have their own developmental pace, some symptoms are just too difficult to miss. Some peculiar autism symptoms in infants and babies at the age of 6 months to 2 years are:

• Autistic babies do not smile when smiled at.
• They do not make an eye contact, which is a common development by 6 months of age.
• They do not respond to their names or familiar sounds in spite of having a normal hearing.
• They do not babble by the age of 1 year. In fact, they do not produce much of sound.
• They seem least interested in people and surroundings and often concentrate on a single thing for a very long time.
• They do not cry for help or make basic demands.
• They show no feelings when talked at or cuddled.
• They do not reciprocate adult facial expressions and make no hand gestures.

Oftentimes, a child shows normal development until the age of 1 or 2 years and then suddenly loses all his social and emotional skills. He may also lose his ability to communicate. This is called regression. Sometimes, doctors may underestimate the signs of autism in infants and treat them as normal developmental issues. In that case, parents should not hesitate to seek a second opinion. Any delay in this matter can deteriorate your child's chances of complete recovery.

Autism treatment can definitely rewire the brain of such children and reverse the effects of autism. Although it cannot be completely cured, the symptoms can be kept under control so that the child leads a near normal life.