The United States Launches a Global Research Project to Understand the Causes of Autism
US Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. announced that health authorities have initiated a large-scale research project involving hundreds of scientists from various countries, aimed at determining the causes of autism, with final results expected to be released next September.
Kennedy explained during a government meeting at the White House that the project is part of efforts to understand the rising rates of autism and to eliminate the contributing factors, noting that autism has become what he described as a “health epidemic” in the United States.
The announcement was welcomed by President Donald Trump, who pointed to the “worrisome increase” in autism rates in recent years, questioning whether this rise could be linked to dietary or pharmaceutical factors.
Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that the prevalence of autism has increased from one case in every 150 children born in 1992 to one in every 36 children born in 2012.
While no specific cause has been identified so far, scientific studies suggest that autism may result from a combination of environmental and genetic factors, such as neuroinflammation or the use of certain medications during pregnancy, including the anticonvulsant drug Depakine.
