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FeedAre Autism, ADD/ADHD, Asthma and Allergies Linked?
Crozer-Chester Medical Center's Dr. Sandra Gawchik weighs in on possible connections between these conditions in kids. PLUS: Stats from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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See also "Six Stats About ADHD, Asthma, Allergies & More."
Cleaning products, medicine, food—all can be found in pretty much any household. But as the composition of all three things has changed over the years, so have the rates of autism, ADD/ADHD, asthma and allergies—to the point that parents and physicians can’t help but wonder if there’s a connection.
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) affect about one in 110 children in the United States, and the prevalence of developmental disabilities in children rose 17 percent between 1997 and 2008. There are many theories that attempt to explain their prevalence—some controversial. And for kids with allergies or asthma, finding the root of the problem may be as simple as examining their family history and genetics. If one parent has (or had) asthma, there’s a 50 to 75 percent chance the child will develop it.
“It’s not what we call a homogeneous disease,” says Dr. Sandra Gawchik, co-chief of allergy and immunology at Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Upland. “It’s heterogeneous, which means that not everyone who has asthma has it for the same reasons.”
