During a baby’s first few years, tracking developmental milestones are so very important. At well-baby visits, doctors look for indications of growth and development to make their determinations on how a baby or toddler is progressing. If the doctor detects a significant developmental delay or a baby is at risk to being delayed, parents may first learn of the possibility that their toddler has Autism Spectrum Disorder (renamed in the fifth edition of the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual which now includes autistic disorder, Asperger’s syndrome and childhood pervasive developmental disorder). Each of these “disorders” has common diagnostic and physiologic features but differ by severity in communication, social interaction and repetitive movements or restricted interests. ASD is often diagnosed around the age of two or three, when verbal, visual and name recognition do not appear to be developing, or a significant regression in functioning is noted.
In addition to the brain being structurally impacted, most children diagnosed with ASD have gastrointestinal tract problems, including malabsorption, food sensitivities, esophagitis, reflux, incomplete digestion of proteins, yeast overgrowth, constipation, parasite overloads and an incompetent intestinal barrier. Other common problems include poor immune function, seizures, sleep disturbances, chemical sensitivities, poor appetite, sensitivity to touch and sound, and urination issues. High anxiety, apparent pain, frustration and emotional meltdowns are also reported.
Mensah Medical believes gene expression may play an important part in autism and that abnormal methylation and oxidative overload is the cause of most cases of autism. The physicians at Mensah Mensah subscribe to the Walsh Model of Autism: autism appears to be a gene programming disorder that develops in undermethylated persons who experience environmental insults that produce overwhelming oxidative stress. Dr. Walsh’s database of 250,000 chemical assays of blood and urine for children with ASD revealed that children with ASD exhibit distinctive biochemical imbalances including undermethlylation, zinc deficiency, abnormal metal metabolism, copper overload, elevated toxic metals and other significant deficiencies/overloads.