(Los Angeles Times / July 17, 2011) |
LOS ANGELES ( KTLA) -- A new study suggests that traffic pollution may put children at a greater risk of developing autism.
Researchers at the Saban Research Institute of Children's Hospital Los Angeles found that babies who lived within 1,000 feet of a freeway, but not a major road, had twice the risk of autism.
The study suggests that environmental factors may play a role in the development of the disease in some children.
Researchers say the heightened risk may be due to the type and high level of pollutants on a freeway.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reported cases of autism cases increased by 57 percent between 2002 and 2006.
There is no cure for autism.
A 2006 study also found autistic children were 50 percent more likely to have been born around contaminated air.
Researchers at the Saban Research Institute of Children's Hospital Los Angeles found that babies who lived within 1,000 feet of a freeway, but not a major road, had twice the risk of autism.
The study suggests that environmental factors may play a role in the development of the disease in some children.
Researchers say the heightened risk may be due to the type and high level of pollutants on a freeway.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reported cases of autism cases increased by 57 percent between 2002 and 2006.
There is no cure for autism.
A 2006 study also found autistic children were 50 percent more likely to have been born around contaminated air.
