On 2013 Oct 29, John Cannell commented:

I congratulate the authors on an important work but it shows how little communication is occurring among autism scientists. Each scientist seems to be immersed in his or her own research interest but oblivious to the larger body of autism research.

While the below Harvard study was published to late for the authors to cite, it showed that preterm infants have significantly lower serum 25(OH)D levels than do full term infants.

Burris HH, Van Marter LJ, McElrath TF, Tabatabai P, Litonjua AA, Weiss ST, Christou H. Vitamin D status among preterm and full-term infants at birth. Pediatr Res. 2013 Oct 11. doi: 10.1038/pr.2013.174. [Epub ahead of print]. Burris HH, 2014

Thus the vitamin D theory of autism (vitamin D deficiency is the environmental risk factor for this highly heritable disorder) is consistent with the authors work. Three recent studies, using community controls, have found 25(OH)D levels are significantly lower in children with autism. Two of the studies below (Mostafa et al and Gong et al) also found autism severity, as rated on standard autism rating scales, is inversely correlated with 25(OH)D levels. Mostafa et al found an R value of -.86 for the association of 25(OH)D with autism severity.

Gong ZL, Luo CM, Wang L, Shen L, Wei F, Tong RJ, Liu Y. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in Chinese children with autism spectrum disorders. Neuroreport. 2013 Oct 1. Gong ZL, 2014

Meguid NA, Hashish AF, Anwar M, Sidhom G. Reduced serum levels of 25-hydroxy and 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D in Egyptian children with autism. J Altern Complement Med. 2010 Jun;16(6):641-5. Meguid NA, 2010

Mostafa GA, Al-Ayadhi LY.Reduced serum concentrations of 25-hydroxy vitamin D in children with autism: relation to autoimmunity. J Neuroinflammation. 2012 Aug 17;9:201. Mostafa GA, 2012

There is a plethora of basic science explaining why low gestational or early childhood 25(OH)D levels would adversely effect brain development.

DeLuca GC, Kimball SM, Kolasinski J, Ramagopalan SV, Ebers GC. Review: the role of vitamin D in nervous system health and disease. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol. 2013 Aug;39(5):458-84. doi: 10.1111/nan.12020. DeLuca GC, 2013

Eyles DW, Feron F, Cui X, Kesby JP, Harms LH, Ko P, McGrath JJ, Burne TH. Developmental vitamin D deficiency causes abnormal brain development. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2009 Dec;34 Suppl 1:S247-57. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2009.04.015. Epub . Review. Eyles DW, 2009

Furthermore, the vitamin D theory of autism explains many of the epidemiological facts of autism.

Cannell JJ. On the aetiology of autism. Acta Paediatr. 2010 Aug;99(8):1128-30. Cannell JJ, 2010

Cannell JJ. Autism and vitamin D. Med Hypotheses. 2008;70(4):750-9. Cannell JJ, 2008

70% of American toddlers do not take the American Pediatric Association's recommended vitamin D supplement of 400 IU/day.

Cannell JJ. Autism, will vitamin D treat core symptoms? Medical Hypotheses. 2013 Aug;81(2):195-8. Cannell JJ, 2013

Some autism researcher seem cognizant of the entire body of autism research. For example a group of well-known European autism researchers, including Professor Christopher Gillberg of the Gillberg Neuropsychiatric Institute, have recently called for the need for “urgent research” into vitamin D and autism. However, these scientists appear to be in the minority.

Kočovská E, Fernell E, Billstedt E, Minnis H, Gillberg C. Vitamin D and autism: clinical review. Res Dev Disabil. 2012 Sep-Oct;33(5):1541-50. doi: 10.1016/j.ridd.2012.02.015. Epub 2012 Apr 21.Kočovská E, 2012

Until all autism researchers become cognizant of the wider body of autism research, we will continue to wonder how to prevent - and perhaps even treat - this modern day plague.

John J Cannell Vitamin D Council http://www.vitamindcouncil.org

On 2013 Oct 29, John Cannell commented:

I congratulate the authors on an important work but it shows how little communication is occurring among autism scientists. Each scientist seems to be immersed in his or her own research interest but oblivious to the larger body of autism research.

While the below Harvard study was published to late for the authors to cite, it showed that preterm infants have significantly lower serum 25(OH)D levels than do full term infants.

Burris HH, Van Marter LJ, McElrath TF, Tabatabai P, Litonjua AA, Weiss ST, Christou H. Vitamin D status among preterm and full-term infants at birth. Pediatr Res. 2013 Oct 11. doi: 10.1038/pr.2013.174. [Epub ahead of print]. Burris HH, 2014

Thus the vitamin D theory of autism (vitamin D deficiency is the environmental risk factor for this highly heritable disorder) is consistent with the authors work. Three recent studies, using community controls, have found 25(OH)D levels are significantly lower in children with autism. Two of the studies below (Mostafa et al and Gong et al) also found autism severity, as rated on standard autism rating scales, is inversely correlated with 25(OH)D levels. Mostafa et al found an R value of -.86 for the association of 25(OH)D with autism severity.

Gong ZL, Luo CM, Wang L, Shen L, Wei F, Tong RJ, Liu Y. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in Chinese children with autism spectrum disorders. Neuroreport. 2013 Oct 1. Gong ZL, 2014

Meguid NA, Hashish AF, Anwar M, Sidhom G. Reduced serum levels of 25-hydroxy and 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D in Egyptian children with autism. J Altern Complement Med. 2010 Jun;16(6):641-5. Meguid NA, 2010

Mostafa GA, Al-Ayadhi LY.Reduced serum concentrations of 25-hydroxy vitamin D in children with autism: relation to autoimmunity. J Neuroinflammation. 2012 Aug 17;9:201. Mostafa GA, 2012

There is a plethora of basic science explaining why low gestational or early childhood 25(OH)D levels would adversely effect brain development.

DeLuca GC, Kimball SM, Kolasinski J, Ramagopalan SV, Ebers GC. Review: the role of vitamin D in nervous system health and disease. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol. 2013 Aug;39(5):458-84. doi: 10.1111/nan.12020. DeLuca GC, 2013

Eyles DW, Feron F, Cui X, Kesby JP, Harms LH, Ko P, McGrath JJ, Burne TH. Developmental vitamin D deficiency causes abnormal brain development. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2009 Dec;34 Suppl 1:S247-57. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2009.04.015. Epub . Review. Eyles DW, 2009

Furthermore, the vitamin D theory of autism explains many of the epidemiological facts of autism.

Cannell JJ. On the aetiology of autism. Acta Paediatr. 2010 Aug;99(8):1128-30. Cannell JJ, 2010

Cannell JJ. Autism and vitamin D. Med Hypotheses. 2008;70(4):750-9. Cannell JJ, 2008

70% of American toddlers do not take the American Pediatric Association's recommended vitamin D supplement of 400 IU/day.

Cannell JJ. Autism, will vitamin D treat core symptoms? Medical Hypotheses. 2013 Aug;81(2):195-8. Cannell JJ, 2013

Some autism researcher seem cognizant of the entire body of autism research. For example a group of well-known European autism researchers, including Professor Christopher Gillberg of the Gillberg Neuropsychiatric Institute, have recently called for the need for “urgent research” into vitamin D and autism. However, these scientists appear to be in the minority.

Kočovská E, Fernell E, Billstedt E, Minnis H, Gillberg C. Vitamin D and autism: clinical review. Res Dev Disabil. 2012 Sep-Oct;33(5):1541-50. doi: 10.1016/j.ridd.2012.02.015. Epub 2012 Apr 21.Kočovská E, 2012

Until all autism researchers become cognizant of the wider body of autism research, we will continue to wonder how to prevent - and perhaps even treat - this modern day plague.

John J Cannell Vitamin D Council http://www.vitamindcouncil.org