Scientists have identified a link between lithium levels in a Denmark's water supply and an increased chance of children later receiving an autism diagnosis.
While the study of 52,706 kids isn't enough to prove that lithium is directly causing autism, the possibility is worthy of further investigation.
A naturally occurring element and a medication commonly used to treat mood disorders, lithium has previously been associated with miscarriages and cardiac malformations in newborns. This is the first time an association has been made with autism spectrum disorder ( ASD).
"In this Danish nationwide population-based case-control study, the study team found that maternal exposure to higher levels of residential lithium in drinking water during pregnancy was associated with a moderate increase in ASD risk in the offspring," write the researchers in their published paper.
"The findings remained robust after adjusting for several maternal neighborhood socioeconomic factors and air pollution exposures."
Lithium typically makes its way into drinking water through the weathering of minerals underground. Compared to other countries, levels of the metal in Denmark's drinking water are moderate to low. autism crocs
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