Autism and Air Pollution

“5 Caveats About The Autism And Air Pollution Study,” by Emily Willingham.
Did you read about it? Air pollution levels within a certain range during a woman’s pregnancy and her baby’s early months are linked to an increased risk for autism! The news stories covering this latest “X linked to Autism study” often include commentary only from the report’s lead author, Heather Volk, Ph.D., M.P.H., at the University of Southern California, but no outside comment or critique on the findings. One example is the Time Healthland article headlined “Autism and Air Pollution: The Link Grows Stronger,” which calls the report part of a “mounting body of evidence,” even though the only other findings suggesting a traffic pollution association is a previous, much-critiqued paper from the same author group. Read the full article on Forbes.com.