Researcher uncovers potential cause, biomarker for autism and proposes study to investigate theory
Friday, February 1, 2013 - 05:01
in Health & Medicine
Every day, 125 children are diagnosed with autism in the United States. A new study points to a potential cause and calls for further investigation to test the theory. Insulin-like growth factor (IGF) is a protein that is necessary for normal nervous system development but may be deficient in babies who later develop autism. IGF, of which breast milk is a natural source, eventually could prove useful as a biomarker, treatment and prevention for autism.