A 53-year-old member asked:
Is it true that the recent autism epidemic is a result of radiation poisoning caused by chernobyl in 1986?
2 doctor answers • 9 doctors weighed in
Dr. Robert Kwokanswered
Pediatrics 35 years experience
No: Hypothetically anything is possible, but no, ionizing radiation (such as from chernobyl) and electromagnetic radiation (such as from tv's, cell phones, and microwave ovens) have not been shown to cause autism. Our society's increased exposure to emf (electromagnetic fields) from modern technology such as cell phones has occurred coincidentally at the same time as a rise in autism "diagnoses".
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Kevin Windischanswered
Pediatrics 27 years experience
No: We started routinely training pediatricians in developmental pediatrics and changed the definition of autism to include more patients in the early 80's. These two changes probably account for the increased rate of autism diagnoses.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Last updated Oct 3, 2016
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