By Shawn Chaney [ 09/01/2009 ]
Autism Statistics, What Parent Need To Know.
Before giving you the Autism statistics it is important that you know the definition of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Autism Spectrum Disorder is a pervasive developmental disorder characterized by severe deficits in social interaction and communication, by an extremely limited range of activities and interests, and often by the presence of repetitive, stereotyped behaviors. ASD is defined by a certain set of behaviors that can range from the very mild to the severe.
Autism statistics show that Autism Spectrum Disorder is growing at an alarming rate and is currently the sixth most commonly classified disability in the United States that was added as a special education in 1991 and is usually present before the age of three and lasts a lifetime. It is important to make sure that individuals with autism are identified and receive appropriate intervention services as soon as possible. The earlier treatment can be started the better for the child and cost of life long care can be reduced by 2/3 with early diagnoses and intervention.
Autism statistics reported by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) state that 1 in 150 children will be diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Of that estimate 1 in 104 males will be diagnosed and are 4 times more likely to be diagnosed than females, as well as an estimate of 67 children are diagnosed a day. This of course does not include a full population count of individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. With That aside and using the autism statistics that are given above, we can estimate that if 4 million children are born in the United States every year, approximately 24,000 of these children will eventually be diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with AIDS, diabetes, and cancer combined.
Autism statistics validate that it is currently the fastest growing developmental disability, with a 10% to 17% annual growth. Assuming the occurrence rate has been constant over the past two decades, we can estimate that up to 500,000 individuals younger than 21 have autism. However, many of these individuals may not be classified as having autism until school-age or later.
วันศุกร์ที่ 30 กรกฎาคม พ.ศ. 2553
What Is Causing The High Growth In Autistic Disorders
By Dick Aronson Aronson [ 13/01/2009 ]
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) which includes Autism and Asperger syndrome is a brain development disorder that first appears during infancy or childhood, it is characterized by; unresponsiveness to social interaction and communication, gross deficits in intelligence and language development, restricted and repetitive behavior, restricted capacity for developmentally appropriate activities and interests and often bizarre responses to the environment.
People with autism have social impairments and often lack the intuition about others that others take for granted. Making and maintaining friendships often proves to be difficult for those with autism. About a third to a half of individuals with autism do not develop enough natural speech to meet their daily communication needs.
Causes and Incidence
Until recently Autism was thought to be entirely due to genetic problems or mutations, however according to a recent study by the prestigious MIND institute of California, the enormous increase in the incidence over the last few years can not just be explained by better diagnostic tests. Rather they postulate that certain environmental factors are also involved. When one considers the massive increase in the various poisons mankind releases into the atmosphere and the soil and the fact that young children do not have a properly developed immune system, that should not be surprising.
Environmental factors that have been claimed to contribute to or exacerbate autism, or may be important in future research, include certain foods, infectious disease, heavy metals, solvents, diesel exhaust, PCBs, phthalates and phenols used in plastic products, pesticides, brominated flame retardants, alcohol, smoking, illicit drugs, vaccines and prenatal stress.
Autism has also been associated with maternal rubella, untreated phenylketonuria, lack of oxygen at birth, tuberous sclerosis and encephalitis. Some studies have established a link with abnormalities in neurotransmitters, including increased dopamine and increased serotonin.
Autism is still fairly rare with 4 to 5 children per 10,000 births being affected but the huge and continuing rise in the incidence of Autism is alarming.
Signs and Symptoms
A major characteristic of children with Autism is unresponsiveness to people. Infants with this disorder will not cuddle, they avoid eye contact, do not show facial expressions and are indifferent to affection and physical contact. They may become rigid or flaccid when held and cry when touched.
As they grow older their smiling response is absent or delayed, they do not form an attachment to their caregivers and do not show anxiety in the presence of strangers. The end result of these problems is that an emotional bond between the children and their parents may fail to develop.
Severe language impairment and lack of imagination, meaningless repetition of words and actions, screaming fits, rhythmic rocking, arm flapping, disturbed sleeping and eating patterns and crying without tears may also be prevalent. Most autistic children have an IQ of 35 to 49.
Treatment
As yet there is no known cure for autism, but early intervention, the establishment of strict routines, specialised education and structured support can help develop skills, minimise behaviour problems and enable each child, whatever their level of disability, to achieve as great a degree of independence as possible.
People with autism often insist on following routines or rituals, and can be distressed over changes to small details of the environment, such as wanting to keep to the same route to the shops or eat dinner from the same plate. It is thought that they feel tremendous anxiety at the unpredictability of daily life, and these rituals and routines remove some of the uncertainty for them about what will happen next.
A child with ASD may respond atypically to medications, the medications can have adverse effects, and no known medication relieves the core symptoms of social and communication impairments. Investigation and treatment of Biological, Nutritional and Metabolic factors have led to improvement of symptoms or complete resolution of symptoms in a multitude of Children with Autism worldwide. Some recent work with acupressure patches does however show promise.
Prognosis
The prognosis for Autism is poor with most sufferers requiring a structured environment throughout life, but all kids with autism have brighter futures when they have the support and understanding of doctors, teachers, caregivers, parents, brothers, sisters, and friends.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) which includes Autism and Asperger syndrome is a brain development disorder that first appears during infancy or childhood, it is characterized by; unresponsiveness to social interaction and communication, gross deficits in intelligence and language development, restricted and repetitive behavior, restricted capacity for developmentally appropriate activities and interests and often bizarre responses to the environment.
People with autism have social impairments and often lack the intuition about others that others take for granted. Making and maintaining friendships often proves to be difficult for those with autism. About a third to a half of individuals with autism do not develop enough natural speech to meet their daily communication needs.
Causes and Incidence
Until recently Autism was thought to be entirely due to genetic problems or mutations, however according to a recent study by the prestigious MIND institute of California, the enormous increase in the incidence over the last few years can not just be explained by better diagnostic tests. Rather they postulate that certain environmental factors are also involved. When one considers the massive increase in the various poisons mankind releases into the atmosphere and the soil and the fact that young children do not have a properly developed immune system, that should not be surprising.
Environmental factors that have been claimed to contribute to or exacerbate autism, or may be important in future research, include certain foods, infectious disease, heavy metals, solvents, diesel exhaust, PCBs, phthalates and phenols used in plastic products, pesticides, brominated flame retardants, alcohol, smoking, illicit drugs, vaccines and prenatal stress.
Autism has also been associated with maternal rubella, untreated phenylketonuria, lack of oxygen at birth, tuberous sclerosis and encephalitis. Some studies have established a link with abnormalities in neurotransmitters, including increased dopamine and increased serotonin.
Autism is still fairly rare with 4 to 5 children per 10,000 births being affected but the huge and continuing rise in the incidence of Autism is alarming.
Signs and Symptoms
A major characteristic of children with Autism is unresponsiveness to people. Infants with this disorder will not cuddle, they avoid eye contact, do not show facial expressions and are indifferent to affection and physical contact. They may become rigid or flaccid when held and cry when touched.
As they grow older their smiling response is absent or delayed, they do not form an attachment to their caregivers and do not show anxiety in the presence of strangers. The end result of these problems is that an emotional bond between the children and their parents may fail to develop.
Severe language impairment and lack of imagination, meaningless repetition of words and actions, screaming fits, rhythmic rocking, arm flapping, disturbed sleeping and eating patterns and crying without tears may also be prevalent. Most autistic children have an IQ of 35 to 49.
Treatment
As yet there is no known cure for autism, but early intervention, the establishment of strict routines, specialised education and structured support can help develop skills, minimise behaviour problems and enable each child, whatever their level of disability, to achieve as great a degree of independence as possible.
People with autism often insist on following routines or rituals, and can be distressed over changes to small details of the environment, such as wanting to keep to the same route to the shops or eat dinner from the same plate. It is thought that they feel tremendous anxiety at the unpredictability of daily life, and these rituals and routines remove some of the uncertainty for them about what will happen next.
A child with ASD may respond atypically to medications, the medications can have adverse effects, and no known medication relieves the core symptoms of social and communication impairments. Investigation and treatment of Biological, Nutritional and Metabolic factors have led to improvement of symptoms or complete resolution of symptoms in a multitude of Children with Autism worldwide. Some recent work with acupressure patches does however show promise.
Prognosis
The prognosis for Autism is poor with most sufferers requiring a structured environment throughout life, but all kids with autism have brighter futures when they have the support and understanding of doctors, teachers, caregivers, parents, brothers, sisters, and friends.
In Vitro Fertilization Unraveled
By Alex White [ 27/04/2009 ]
The steady success rate of In-Vitro Fertilization or IVF has made it a popular choice among couples with infertility issues. In the United States, the live birth rate for each IVF cycle started is approximately 30 to 35% for women under age 35, 25% for women ages 35 to 37, 15 to 20% for women ages 38 to 40 and 6 to 10% for women ages over 40.
IVF is the process of fertilization by manually combining an egg and sperm in a laboratory dish. When the IVF is successful, the embryo is transferred into the uterus. In vitro fertilization is a beacon of hope for women who have no fallopian tubes or have blocked/damaged tubes, women who suffer from endometriosis or other complications. IVF is also performed when the sperm count is low in the male partner.
IVF involves the following steps:
Collection of ripened eggs: The ovulation process is induced using fertility drugs to increase the chance of collecting multiple eggs. Ultrasound scans, urine or blood test samples are performed to check on the ovaries and monitor hormone levels.
Egg retrieval: Multiple eggs are retrieved through a minor surgical procedure which uses ultrasound imaging to guide a hollow needle through the pelvic cavity. This procedure uses local anesthesia. Follicular aspiration or the removal of eggs is a relatively painless procedure. Some women may experience cramping on the day of retrieval and some discomfort for a few weeks.
Preparing the sperm: Sperm obtained by ejaculation is prepared for combining with the eggs.
Insemination : During insemination, the sperm and eggs are placed in incubators for fertilization. If the chances of fertilization by this method is low, intra cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) may be used. ICSI involves injecting a single sperm into the egg for fertilization. When the eggs are fertilized and cell division occurs, they are considered embryos.
Transfer of embryos: The embryos are usually transferred into the woman's uterus between two to three days following egg retrieval. This process involves a speculum which is inserted into the vagina to expose the cervix. A predetermined number of embryos are suspended in fluid and gently placed through a catheter into the womb, guided by ultrasound.
Wait and watch: Next, the couple has to wait and watch for pregnancy symptoms. A blood test and an ultrasound can confirm implantation and pregnancy.
However, it must be noted that most couples usually go in for more than one IVF cycle before a positive pregnancy test result. Furthermore, miscarriages are also a risk that needs to be taken into consideration. Cost-wise, IVF is an expensive affair. A single IVF cycle can cause anywhere between $10,000 and $12,000 in the United States. And this amount is not covered by insurance because IVF is an elective procedure. But compare this cost to the joy of experiencing parenthood, and then, IVF is truly priceless!
The steady success rate of In-Vitro Fertilization or IVF has made it a popular choice among couples with infertility issues. In the United States, the live birth rate for each IVF cycle started is approximately 30 to 35% for women under age 35, 25% for women ages 35 to 37, 15 to 20% for women ages 38 to 40 and 6 to 10% for women ages over 40.
IVF is the process of fertilization by manually combining an egg and sperm in a laboratory dish. When the IVF is successful, the embryo is transferred into the uterus. In vitro fertilization is a beacon of hope for women who have no fallopian tubes or have blocked/damaged tubes, women who suffer from endometriosis or other complications. IVF is also performed when the sperm count is low in the male partner.
IVF involves the following steps:
Collection of ripened eggs: The ovulation process is induced using fertility drugs to increase the chance of collecting multiple eggs. Ultrasound scans, urine or blood test samples are performed to check on the ovaries and monitor hormone levels.
Egg retrieval: Multiple eggs are retrieved through a minor surgical procedure which uses ultrasound imaging to guide a hollow needle through the pelvic cavity. This procedure uses local anesthesia. Follicular aspiration or the removal of eggs is a relatively painless procedure. Some women may experience cramping on the day of retrieval and some discomfort for a few weeks.
Preparing the sperm: Sperm obtained by ejaculation is prepared for combining with the eggs.
Insemination : During insemination, the sperm and eggs are placed in incubators for fertilization. If the chances of fertilization by this method is low, intra cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) may be used. ICSI involves injecting a single sperm into the egg for fertilization. When the eggs are fertilized and cell division occurs, they are considered embryos.
Transfer of embryos: The embryos are usually transferred into the woman's uterus between two to three days following egg retrieval. This process involves a speculum which is inserted into the vagina to expose the cervix. A predetermined number of embryos are suspended in fluid and gently placed through a catheter into the womb, guided by ultrasound.
Wait and watch: Next, the couple has to wait and watch for pregnancy symptoms. A blood test and an ultrasound can confirm implantation and pregnancy.
However, it must be noted that most couples usually go in for more than one IVF cycle before a positive pregnancy test result. Furthermore, miscarriages are also a risk that needs to be taken into consideration. Cost-wise, IVF is an expensive affair. A single IVF cycle can cause anywhere between $10,000 and $12,000 in the United States. And this amount is not covered by insurance because IVF is an elective procedure. But compare this cost to the joy of experiencing parenthood, and then, IVF is truly priceless!
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