Barwon Infant Study in the NEWS!
Association between prenatal exposure to plastics and autism in boys
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Thank you to all the fabulous young people and caregivers who have been visiting the BIS bus or clinic to do brain games, check how your lungs and eyes are working, fill in questionnaires and lots more!
Our BIS team is working hard to understand more about children’s lives in the modern world. One area we are interested in learning more about is neurodiversity.
Neurodivergent people, including those in the autistic community, are unique individuals with a range of strengths, life experiences and personal qualities. We are aware that some individuals may prefer identity-first language while some may prefer person-first language; in this summary we use both.
We would also like to acknowledge that many children with autism experience developmental vulnerabilities and that understanding how people become neurodivergent is an important research question.
We have recently published an article in Nature Communications about exposure to plastics during pregnancy and autism development. For more details, please see our press release and the full article linked here.
The paper is a significant step in our research. It shows how a common plastic chemical, bisphenol A, can influence the molecular development of the brain in utero for some children, potentially altering neurodevelopment. While the paper contains many laboratory studies, the findings from the human population, contributed to by the BIS cohort and families, were particularly important.
The goal of this research is to improve the health and well-being of the whole community and highlight the need for tighter environmental regulations of plastics. The information in this new paper is now being considered by the government, including international bodies that set plastic safety standards. We thank you and your child for your valuable contribution to new knowledge on optimising early life development for modern children.
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