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Interesting autism study
Autism and testoterone
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Posted 9/12/07 8:06 AM  |
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JessieQ
Rest in Peace baby Rogan
Member since 6/07 1122 total posts
Name:
Jessica
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Re: Interesting autism study
This reminded me of the study about hair whorl direction homosexuality, left-handedness, and autism. I think that is linked to testosterone exposure in the womb. link to past thread
Actually the possibility that testosterone exposure in the womb afects autism is not entirely new, there was a paper published in 2001 showing that children with autism (by the way thanks to you and a few others on this board I have learned not to say "autistic children!) are more likely to have longer ring fingers as compared to their pointer fingers, which is a sign of higher exposure to testosterone in the womb. link But I think this is the first to actually test pregnant mother's hormone levels and then follow up years later to see if their child shows signs of autism.
It's an intrieguing study. I'm sure there's much more to it, but it does make some sense. And it complicates matters- when people say nature vs. nurture, in this case would it be "nurture" b/c it's the mother's testosterone levels? On the other hand, if her levels are genetically hard-wired wouldn't it be "nature"? But, with all these environmental pseudo-hormones around maybe the extra hormones are from the environment.
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| Posted 9/12/07 8:42 AM |
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CathyB
Member since 5/05 19403 total posts
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Re: Interesting autism study
Posted by JessieQ
Actually the possibility that testosterone exposure in the womb afects autism is not entirely new, there was a paper published in 2001 showing that children with autism (by the way thanks to you and a few others on this board I have learned not to say "autistic children!) are more likely to have longer ring fingers as compared to their pointer fingers, which is a sign of higher exposure to testosterone in the womb.
I just went and checked my kids hands.
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| Posted 9/12/07 8:47 AM |
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JessieQ
Rest in Peace baby Rogan
Member since 6/07 1122 total posts
Name:
Jessica
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Re: Interesting autism study
Posted by CathyB
Posted by JessieQ
Actually the possibility that testosterone exposure in the womb afects autism is not entirely new, there was a paper published in 2001 showing that children with autism (by the way thanks to you and a few others on this board I have learned not to say "autistic children!) are more likely to have longer ring fingers as compared to their pointer fingers, which is a sign of higher exposure to testosterone in the womb.
I just went and checked my kids hands.
 I checked mine and my DD's also, I have the longer ring finger, although I think my DD does not (I checked it back when that other study came out so my memory's fuzzy). That's why I wanted to say it's obviously not the only factor- ok so I'm not the most social person in the world, but I don't think I have autism. I am left-handed though, which they also have tried to link to the high testosterone in the womb. So who knows!
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| Posted 9/12/07 8:54 AM |
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Re: Interesting autism study
My ring finger is longer too... uh oh - I thought that meant I was gay though???
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| Posted 9/12/07 8:30 PM |
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Belladonna219
HOT MAMA
Member since 2/07 2642 total posts
Name:
Belladonna219
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Re: Interesting autism study
My ring finger is longer also! So am I gay or autistic?
Oh well as long as I am happy!
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| Posted 9/12/07 8:49 PM |
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GioiaMia
Let's Go Rangers!
Member since 1/07 14818 total posts
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Re: Interesting autism study
sorry for crashing
Is there anything that you can do to raise or lower your testosterone levels? Or is that just genetic?
TIA.
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| Posted 9/12/07 9:02 PM |
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missrock
Beautiful!!!!
Member since 5/06 3808 total posts
Name:
Jennifer
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Re: Interesting autism study
I just checked. My DD's ring finger is longer. Mine isnt, but my DH's ring finger is also longer.
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| Posted 9/12/07 9:03 PM |
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Re: Interesting autism study
Posted by missrock
I just checked. My DD's ring finger is longer. Mine isnt, but my DH's ring finger is also longer.
I really think it has nothing to do with anything...
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| Posted 9/12/07 9:19 PM |
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Re: Interesting autism study
Posted by Tilde
sorry for crashing
Is there anything that you can do to raise or lower your testosterone levels? Or is that just genetic?
TIA.
I'm not sure, outside of steroids.... I think its genetic...
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| Posted 9/12/07 9:19 PM |
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GioiaMia
Let's Go Rangers!
Member since 1/07 14818 total posts
Name:
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Re: Interesting autism study
Posted by lipglossjunky73
Posted by Tilde
sorry for crashing
Is there anything that you can do to raise or lower your testosterone levels? Or is that just genetic?
TIA.
I'm not sure, outside of steroids.... I think its genetic...
thanks - interesting study!
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| Posted 9/12/07 9:24 PM |
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Sweets13
Bella Bambini
Member since 5/05 9300 total posts
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Re: Interesting autism study
I just saw this last night and while DS was sleeping I checked!! Well, I almost fainted in his room, because his ring finger is longer than his index finger....I was trying to stretch his index finger!!!
My ring and index fingers are the same length..and so are DH's
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| Posted 9/13/07 10:48 AM |
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~Colleen~
my loves...
Member since 5/05 9129 total posts
Name:
guess
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Re: Interesting autism study
Posted by lipglossjunky73
Posted by Tilde
sorry for crashing
Is there anything that you can do to raise or lower your testosterone levels? Or is that just genetic?
TIA.
I'm not sure, outside of steroids.... I think its genetic...
What about BCPs with higher levels of androgens? Or does something like that eventually leave your body once you've stopped taking the BCPs? Or would it affect your hormone levels b/c you've been on the BCPs for a long period of time?
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| Posted 9/13/07 10:57 AM |
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JessieQ
Rest in Peace baby Rogan
Member since 6/07 1122 total posts
Name:
Jessica
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Re: Interesting autism study
Posted by ~Colleen~
Posted by lipglossjunky73
Posted by Tilde
sorry for crashing
Is there anything that you can do to raise or lower your testosterone levels? Or is that just genetic?
TIA.
I'm not sure, outside of steroids.... I think its genetic...
What about BCPs with higher levels of androgens? Or does something like that eventually leave your body once you've stopped taking the BCPs? Or would it affect your hormone levels b/c you've been on the BCPs for a long period of time?
I am curious about this as well. I will try to get some info. So far I found a paper published this year that found that, "compared to controls, significantly more mothers of ASC [autism spectrum conditions] children reported (a) severe acne, (b) breast and uterine cancers, tumors, or growths, and (c) family history of ovarian and uterine cancers, tumors, or growths." These conditions are all a result of aberrant sex hormone levels, including testosterone. The paper talks about the theory that "the autistic brain may be an ‘extreme’ of the typical male brain," and is formed during fetal development.
as far as bcps, I just found an article that said that bcps may actually decrease the bioavailability of testosterone, so that would be the opposite, but there's no study of the rate of autism in children of women who took bcp's.
Other than the testosterone you produce yourself, there are plenty of environmental chemicals that can act on the same receptors in your body that your sex hormones bind to, so may mimic their effect. Most of the ones I know mimic estrogen, but who knows there may be some that mimic testosterone.
Also remember a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, I am not an expert in this field I just am good at quickly skimming through abstracts and research papers. So take everything with a grain of salt.
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| Posted 9/13/07 11:36 AM |
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