Many therapists feel there has been an increase in the incidence of Autism
and related disorders in the last 20+ years.  Autism is thought to be
another type of nervous system insult.

Elizabeth Thiers, OTR
email: [log in to unmask]
homepage: http://www.bv.net/~john/bethsot1.html

----------
> From: Bobby Greer <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: a possible cause of cp
> Date: Wednesday, December 16, 1998 2:23 AM
>
> >        this is from garynull.com
> >Some segments of our society would like us to believe that pollution may
only
> >be a problem for future generations, but mounting evidence indicates
that
> >pollutants are affecting us now. For example, a recent study by
University of
> >Iowa researchers found that herbicide contamination in municipal water
> >supplies in some Iowa communities is disrupting the normal growth of
fetuses.
> >
> >How well an infant grows during fetal development has been found to be a
good
> >predictor of reproductive health. Intrauterine Growth Retardation (IUGR)
is a
> >condition in which a baby's weight at birth is very low relative to
other
> >babies of the same gestational age (less than the 10th percentile). IUGR
has
> >been associated with poor neonatal health, including apnea, bradycardia,
> >respiratory distress, hypocalcemia, sepsis, cerebral palsy and impaired
> >development lasting into childhood.
> >
> >In the University of Iowa study, infants of mothers living in several
> >communities with herbicide-polluted water had a higher risk of IUGR. The
mean
> >level of the most notable contaminant, the herbicide atrazine, was 2.2
> >micrograms per liter. The current maximum concentration level permitted
for
> >atrazine in drinking water is 3 micrograms per liter. Considering that
> >children were being damaged at levels below those considered safe, a
revision
> >of standards may be in order. Based on information in: Environmental
Health
> >Perspectives, March 1997
>
> Mag,
>
>         I would like to see the live births/1000 incidence of CP in the
Memphis
> area. We had a big environment lawsuit here in the 1970's(Velsicol) and
> they dumped tons of contaminants in the ground. I know we are the cancer
> center of the South. I've never thought in terms of IUGR.
>
> BGG