Is autism caused by "inflammation of the brain"? Doctor: 2-3 years old is a critical period! "1 Check" quickly measures the child's brain status
The Korean drama “Extraordinary Lawyer Woo Young-wook” has recently caused a craze at home and abroad, and has also made the public more aware of relevant information about “autism”. Dr. Su Shengjie, deputy director of Lianqing Clinic, said that there is currently no medical conclusion on the cause of autism, and it is generally believed that it is caused by physiological factors. However, the proportion of diagnosed patients with autism has increased year by year in recent years; and according to statistics from the Taiwan Ministry of Health and Welfare in 2020, the number of diagnosed patients has increased approximately eight times in the past 20 years. What exactly causes autism? How do you know if your child has autism?
Why does autism occur? Doctors reveal 5 possible causes
Dr. Su Shengjie pointed out that according to the Autism Federation of the Taiwan, the causes of autism are roughly classified into five types, namely heredity, viral infection, metabolic disorders, brain damage caused by pregnancy or birth difficulties, and genes. The fourth type of “brain damage caused by pregnancy or birth difficulties” is most likely related to excessive inflammation in the pregnant woman’s body.
Previous studies have found that if a pregnant woman develops an infection in her uterus during pregnancy, the risk of her future child suffering from autism will increase. Dr. Su Shengjie explained that, especially in children under 3 years old, the protective mechanism of the brain is not yet fully mature. At this time, any inflammation may have penetrating power and enter the brain.
In addition, there are also some children who have no abnormalities before the age of 1, but after the age of 1, their brains suddenly degenerate and they have difficulty speaking. It is speculated that this phenomenon is caused by substances produced by organ inflammation entering the brain, and the blood-brain barrier is immature, causing the main immune cells to be armed and over-activated, causing an inflammatory reaction, making the nerves unable to effectively connect.
Irregular brain inflammation destroys neural connections? Doctor: Feared to be the main cause of autism, depression, and dementia
Dr. Su Shengjie pointed out that the number of nerve cells in babies after birth is almost the same as that of adults and will not increase with age. Only connections between nerves will be formed due to learning, which will strengthen the brain’s execution ability and enable it to learn. More skills. When a child grows to 2-3 years old, the density of synapses reaches its highest level. In addition to causing energy consumption in the brain, wrong connections may also occur, resulting in the inability to develop specialized movements and skills. Therefore, it is necessary to sort out the nervous system to make it clearly correspond and become an effective state.
Dr. Su Shengjie likens the brain to a garden and the nervous system to flowers and plants. To keep crops healthy, we need to rely on the gardeners in the brain - “microgel cells” (a type of immune cell) to prune and remove inappropriate neural connections. Microgel cells are a driving force for development, but they may become resistance due to external factors; pollution, stress, diet, bacteria, viruses, genes, etc. are all key factors, which may cause the brain’s neural connections to fail to develop normally, and may also lead to excessive development. Destroy neural connections.
Dr. Su Shengjie said that once there is a problem with the nervous system connection, many neurological-related diseases may subsequently occur. There is now indirect evidence that the affected diseases may include: autism in children, depression in adults, anxiety disorders, and neurodegeneration in the elderly. Diseases such as dementia, Parkinson’s disease, etc. Therefore, no matter what age group you are in, you should pay attention to whether there is “inappropriate inflammation”.
Children’s brain health requires “advanced management”! New assessment method for early diagnosis of inappropriate inflammation
Although science has developed so far, it is impossible to understand the condition of brain nerve connections through examination, but “inappropriate inflammation” can be detected early through diagnosis to avoid the progression of the disease. Dr. Su Shengjie emphasized that it is important to evaluate inflammation. It is not redness, swelling, heat and pain caused by ordinary injuries, and requires accurate judgment by a doctor. For example, “neuroinflammation metabolic assessment” can further understand whether there are excessive or insufficient neurotransmitters acting in the synaptic gap of neurons, which is of great reference value for treating the nervous system and mental health.
For the treatment of autistic children, there are currently clinics that have opened “Pediatric Neurodevelopmental Integrated Medicine Clinic”, which provides parents with an alternative to traditional treatment. It can be used “without the use of any drugs”. “Biobehavioral therapy” is used to intervene and try to fundamentally solve the problem.
However, Dr. Su Shengjie also emphasized that autism is not caused by a single cause, and it cannot be 100% preventable. Only by paying attention to daily life and uncovering the mystery of the brain from various professional perspectives can the occurrence of neuroinflammation-related diseases be reduced. So that the assistance does not turn into resistance.
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