Bakersfield pediatrician Dr. Nimisha Amin joined 17 News at Sunrise to discuss the national rise of autism cases.
Autism rates have tripled in the New York and New Jersey metropolitan areas from 2000 to 2016, according to a study published last week in the journal Pediatrics. Nationally the rise has been similar.
Dr. Amin said the rise in cases is a mix of doctors getting better at diagnosing autism and kids actually having autism. “…virtually every pediatrician is screening every child in their office for at multiple well visits throughout their childhood,” Amin said.
However, advancements in diagnosing autism doesn’t fully explain the trend in rising rates. Genetic and environmental factors come into play with autism.
Boys are four times as likely to be diagnosed with autism, which can also cluster in families. If one child has autism it’s not surprising if a sibling develops it as well, according to Amin.
The most recent data shows environmental factors such as: advance parental age, birth trauma, maternal obesity/diabetes, medication, dietary modifications, even being born by cesarean section have shown a strong association with the development of autism, Amin said.