Study: Baby teeth link autism and heavy metals

CINCINNATI (WKRC) - A report from the National Institutes of Health says that when researchers studied the baby teeth of children with autism, they found higher levels of metal in them. That findings lead to the possibility that while autism likely begins in the womb, what mom is exposed to in pregnancy may increase a child’s risk. Researchers studied baby teeth to see what was in them and compared. Baby teeth from children with autism had more toxic lead and less of the essential nutrients needed for good health, such as zinc and manganese, when compared to the teeth of children without autism. They say in the months right before a child is born and right after a child is born may be when these children are exposed and how the body processes the exposure to metal may affect the risk of autism. This study was published in the journal “Nature.” Larger studies still need to be done to confirm the results. Using baby teeth to find this out might also hold promise in the discovery of environmental links to