Autism Among Somalis in Minnesota and Sweden: is it the Low Sunlight?

"Autism is terrifying the community of Somali immigrants in Minneapolis, and some pediatricians and educators have joined parents in raising the alarm. But public health experts say it is hard to tell whether the apparent surge of cases is an actual outbreak, with a cause that can be addressed, or just a statistical fluke. "

Read More in the New York Times.

High autism rates have been found in Somali imigrants living in Sweden and in Minnesota.  What does Sweden have in common with Minnesota, besides wolves and snow?  They are both at high lattitudes and get low sunlight, especially in the winter.  Swedish researchers have proposed that vitamin D deficiency may play a role in the high incidence of autism found among Somali immigrant children.  Vitamin D is made in the skin from sunlight. 

Cannell similarly proposes in the journal Medical Hypotheses that vitamin D deficieny in pregnant women and in infancy and childhood predisposes children to developing autism. 

Herndon et al report that children with Autism Spectrum Disorder consume significantly fewer servings of dairy products than children without ASD, although both children with ASD and those without were deficient in vitamin D.  Dairy products in the United States are supplemented with vitamin D. 

Several medical-cultural trends may have combined to produce vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women, infants, and children, possibly predisposing children to autism: widespread use of sunscreen and avoiding outdoor exposure during peak hours, and reduced consumption of fatty cold-water fish by pregnant women, due to fears of mercury contamination.  Somali women at high lattitudes may be at even greater risk of vitamin D deficiency if they observe the tradition of covering their skin.

It is possible that ethnic Somali children may require sunlight exposure consistent with the climate of Somalia, or supplemental vitamin D, for healthy development. 

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mbarnes01
Posts: 1

vitamin D
Reply #1 on : Sun April 26, 2009, 10:59:14

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Everyone should know about vitamin D. Even if you are not living in a northern area most are still deficient as our life style keeps us out of the sun. take a look at www.vitaminD3world.com for some good summaries of the data. The site also has a good newsletter

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