"Mind & Body" -- Scientists Probe Growing Incidence of Autism

"Autism certainly involves the brain, but researchers increasingly believe it is actually a collection of problems that affects the whole body, the accumulation of seemingly minor events that start in the womb. PAULINE TAM unravels the complexity of factors that combine to cause the disorder."

"OTTAWA — Even with a diagnosis of autism, Mica Jovanovic remains a medical mystery to experts who treat and study his condition.

And as autism has emerged as the fastest growing developmental disability, stirring fears of an epidemic, researchers are racing to figure out what causes the condition and why it appears to be affecting so many more children.

What’s clear is that as a baby growing up in suburban Ottawa, Mica was often sick. By his second birthday, he had suffered 17 ear infections and been treated with countless rounds of antibiotics. The fluid buildup in his ears impaired little Mica’s hearing. He also had swollen adenoid glands, which affected his ability to breathe and sleep normally."

Pauline Tam reports for the Ottawa Citizen February 14, 2013.

Source: Ottawa Citizen, 02/15/2013