Tag autism

Love hormone 'helps autistic brain'

The "love hormone" oxytocin alters the brain activity of children with autism and makes them more social, according to US researchers. The role of the hormone in helping children with autism has been debated, with studies showing conflicting data. Brain scans, reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, hint that there is an effect. The National Autistic Society said research on oxytocin as a treatment was still in its infancy. Oxytocin is naturally...

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When pregnant women take Tylenol, their children are more likely to be born with autism

As many as 65 percent of women are said to take it during pregnancy. But Tylenol, the active ingredient of which is acetaminophen, has been linked in a new study out of Norway to causing autism in children. Expectant mothers who took the drug while pregnant to deal with headaches or mild fevers were found to be significantly more likely to bear children with behavioral problems, poor language and motor skills, and communication difficulties, compared to mothers who did not take the...

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Study links synaesthesia to autism

A condition where people experience a mixing of the senses, such as tasting words, has been linked with autism. Research suggests synaesthesia is nearly three times as common in adults with autism spectrum disorder than in the general population. The two conditions may share common features such as unusual wiring of the brain, say UK scientists. The study helps understanding of how people with autism experience life, says the National Autistic Society. Synaesthesia is a condition...

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Multidisciplinary approach to manage autism

The term of autism means a developmental disorder which is characterised by impaired social interaction and communication. At the age of three years, repetitive and restricted behaviour may also be seen. Although autism has a strong genetic basis but in some cases it is associated with different agents which cause birth defects. The number of people diagnosed with autism has increased dramatically since the 1980s in developed countries but some later in developing countries. The...

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Autism signs 'present in first months' of life

Autism can be identified in babies as young as two months, early research suggests. US researchers analysed how infants looked at faces from birth to the age of three. They found children later diagnosed with autism had shown diminished eye contact - a hallmark of autism - in the first few months of life. The findings, reported in Nature, raised hope for early interventions to tackle autism, said a UK expert. In the study, researchers led by Emory University School of Medicine in...

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