At present, scientists are trying to find out the association between genetics and autism and many researchers are being conducted to prove this phenomenon. It has many complications because researchers believe that autism is caused with the involvement of multiple genes that mix together due to chromosomal crossover.

If a family already have a child with autism there are eight percent elevated chances that the next coming child will also develop autism.

Another school of thought was described by the researchers that emotional traumas can also cause autism, such as horrifying accident, neglected behavior or shocking experience early in life. Since, there was no solid proof about these factors, that is why researchers diverted there concentration from these factors.

Many children with autism have shown high mercury level in their blood when tested, which could be the cause of autism. Some scientists blame childhood vaccines for this high metal level. It has been proven that high mercury level in blood cause slow development, impaired language development and attention deficit disorder. The theory behind is, if metals can cause the neurological disorder these also may participate in autism development.

Still, there is no clear cause of the autism, only we can find are theories and ideas. But the good new is researchers have developed the techniques that can make the quality of life better of autistics. These include psychological, physical and occupational therapies which enable the patient to become a productive part of the society.

With the measurement of standard screening tool researchers found that, such kids are two to three times more prone to exhibit autism signs than the normal kids at the age of two years.

Autism also referred as autism spectrum disorders (ASD); that is a group of developmental disorders, illustrated as impaired social interaction and communication, and by constrained and repetitive behavior. ASD have strong genetic basis but the exact cause is still unknown.

Dr. Karl Kuban said, the elevated risk of autism indicated in these children may not be directly associated with premature birth. In spite of it, cause of autism, whatever it is, may force pre-term birth.

The researchers analyzed the 988 American prematurely born kids, at least 90 days before their expected birth date.

Then they were checked for the 23 behaviors to confirm the signs of autism through screening method, at the age of two. Results express that most of the children may have autism but this tool is not able to precisely diagnose the condition. Normally signs and symptoms of autism don’t appear before the age three, lead researcher said.

Since developmental problems in premature babies are common unrelated to ASD that could be the reason of positive result. Researchers then dropped children with vision, motor and hearing dysfunction. Even then, sixteen percent kids show positive results for autism.

This British study has been published in the journal Neurology 2nd Dec. issue and it adds something to those previous studies which show that many anti-epilepsy drugs including valproate can cause birth defects in babies.

Dr. Michel Berg, the lead author of the study, says in this connection: “Previous data indicates that epilepsy drug like valproate can become the cause of neural tube defects in babies and these drugs also seem to affect brain development.”

Doctors already avoid prescribing valpraote and other epilepsy drugs to pregnant women as well as to those who are planning for it.

“It wouldn’t change practice in a dramatic way, but if there is another option, it provides enough reason to avoid prescribing this drug,” says Dr. Jeffery P. Brosco, who is an associate professor at the University of Miami Miller School.

Some other problems have also been encountered by the drugs used for this condition and some other studies say that pregnant women who use another epilepsy drug known as Topamax alone or with other drugs, they may bear babies with different birth defects.