Stress Activates A Serotonin Gene In Pregnant Women And That Causes Autism

haidut

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I have posted before on the (now accepted as causative) link between elevated serotonin levels in mother during pregnancy and autism in babies.
Serotonin Causes Autism; Blocking It May Treat Autism
Maternal Inflammation Causes Brain Damage (autism) By Raising Serotonin

This study now ties maternal stress to the activation of the serotonin gene 5-HTTLPR, which downregulates the activity of the serotonin transporter and thus leads to elevations of brain and plasma serotonin. Given that the link between stress and elevated serotonin is apparently quite well known in pregnancy research, it is baffling that SSRI drugs are prescribed to women to help them "deal with stress" or to "treat" their depression.

Maternal serotonin transporter genotype affects risk for ASD with exposure to prenatal stress. - PubMed - NCBI
http://www.parentherald.com/articles/50153/20160620/autism-pregnancy-children-stress-gene.htm

"...No one has ever really presented irrefutable findings that explain what causes autism, but a new study from the Queen's University in Ontario Canada has attempted to establish a genetic link between stress exposure during pregnancy to autism in their children."

"...Researchers from the said university began their study from the premise that stress can lead to several pregnancy conditions, including autism spectrum disorder. From this, they studied and monitored the cases of two separate groups of mothers who have children born with the disorder. The mothers were interviewed regarding the conditions they face during pregnancy, their experiences during the time. Emphasis was given to the mothers' more stressful experiences such as losing work, moving homes, or going through a divorce. The blood of the test subjects were tested for a type of stress-sensitive gene known as 5-HTTLPR. This is a gene responsible for regulating the neurotransmitter serotonin in the nervous system. When a variation of this gene is found, the availability of serotonin is affected, and this leads to a heightened reaction to stress."

"...Those behind the study, titled Maternal Serotonin Transporter Genotype Affects rRsk for ASD with Exposure to Prenatal stress, said that their research was observational and nature and needs confirmation through more studies. However, the take-away from it is the possibility that one day, women who are at higher risk of having children with autism can be identified through their blood work, and afterwards, they can be assisted to lower their stress levels to bring down the said risks."
 

StrongMom

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Thans Haidut for the post. I think this partly explains the question I asked in another post. Does everyone have that gene? If not, can it explain that under similar maternal conditions only some children are born with autism?
 
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haidut

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Thans Haidut for the post. I think this partly explains the question I asked in another post. Does everyone have that gene? If not, can it explain that under similar maternal conditions only some children are born with autism?

The study says that the mothers with mutation in that genes reacted to stress more negatively. But it does not say whether the mothers without that gene has lower incidence of offspring autism or not. The other studies I have seen were all non-genetic - i.e. intense or chronic stress of any kind would put even healthy mothers without genetic mutations at risk of having autistic children.
 

StrongMom

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The study says that the mothers with mutation in that genes reacted to stress more negatively. But it does not say whether the mothers without that gene has lower incidence of offspring autism or not. The other studies I have seen were all non-genetic - i.e. intense or chronic stress of any kind would put even healthy mothers without genetic mutations at risk of having autistic children.

Thanks Haidut. I know the study doesn't say anything but I wonder if the child with that gene mutation is more likely to be autistic in a stressful prenatal environment.
 
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haidut

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Thanks Haidut. I know the study doesn't say anything but I wonder if the child with that gene mutation is more likely to be autistic in a stressful prenatal environment.

I would not worry much about genes, despite 30 years of searching for autism-related genes no solid candidates have been found. It is the stress and serotonin levels that matter and how affected the child is would be determined primarily by the mother's thyroid status. Eating extra salt and maybe taking some theanine/gelatin would be safest OTC methods for controlling serotonin levels in the pregnant woman. Some pregnenolone should be able to stop the stress reaction as I posted recently in another thread.
 

StrongMom

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I would not worry much about genes, despite 30 years of searching for autism-related genes no solid candidates have been found. It is the stress and serotonin levels that matter and how affected the child is would be determined primarily by the mother's thyroid status. Eating extra salt and maybe taking some theanine/gelatin would be safest OTC methods for controlling serotonin levels in the pregnant woman. Some pregnenolone should be able to stop the stress reaction as I posted recently in another thread.

Well.. For me the damage is already done: twin boys on the autistic spectrum. My thyroid status was horrible and I guess I was under stress without realizing it. I suppose I have that gene as I tend to respond to stressful situations really badly. But I am speculating that one of my boys (with significant autism symptoms) has that gene, too. He tends to stress out a lot just like me. The other one doesn't and has very mild symptoms. I think that yes, the maternal stress might be the determinant factor but the child's DNA should matter too.
 

Mufasa

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Well.. For me the damage is already done: twin boys on the autistic spectrum. My thyroid status was horrible and I guess I was under stress without realizing it. I suppose I have that gene as I tend to respond to stressful situations really badly. But I am speculating that one of my boys (with significant autism symptoms) has that gene, too. He tends to stress out a lot just like me. The other one doesn't and has very mild symptoms. I think that yes, the maternal stress might be the determinant factor but the child's DNA should matter too.

Im never diagnosed this way, I got the label ADD when I was twenty, but I have had always some PDD NOS like symptomps, and if I wanted to I probably would have got that label if I asked my doctor.

However, this has gotten so much better, and it gets better week by week. I believe if you get the stools perfect and lower your serotonin with stuff like lysine, cypro and theanine, many autistic symptopms just slowly go away, in my experience at least.
 

StrongMom

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Im never diagnosed this way, I got the label ADD when I was twenty, but I have had always some PDD NOS like symptomps, and if I wanted to I probably would have got that label if I asked my doctor.

However, this has gotten so much better, and it gets better week by week. I believe if you get the stools perfect and lower your serotonin with stuff like lysine, cypro and theanine, many autistic symptopms just slowly go away, in my experience at least.

Thanks Mufasa. One of my boys is extremely constipated; only with thyroid and magnesium he can have a bowel movement. How do you use lysine? Do you notice the change quixkly or it is vey gradual? At this point I am not going to use cypro as I am still trying to raise the metabolism.

Thanks for the support, this is very encouraging.
 

SonOfEurope

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What has been the increase in autism over the last 120 years? I read somewhere it's been 1,000 fold... can someone confirm?
 

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