There are so many things that people don’t know yet about the human body, not even doctors. According to one of the specialists of the field, the proteins contained by the blood of the umbilical cord could indicate the chances of a baby being affected by autism.
Biomaker
Dr. Gary Steinman claims that the protein he likes to call insulin-like growth factor or its lack may be considered a biomarker for anticipating the occurrence of autism. In his research he points out several other studies that reached similar conclusions.
Breastfeeding
Since the condition seems to be all about the blood of the umbilical cord, you may be asking where breast feeding comes into the picture. It is important to remember that breast milk is an important source of proteins and there is the possibility for these proteins to be able to make up for the lack of IGF.
Other Studies
As it has been mentioned before, the findings of Dr. Steinman are supported by other studies as well. According to them, the longer women breastfeed their children, the less likely it will become for the little ones to be affected by autism. In order to gain more insight into the matter, there is need for further studies and tests regarding the blood found in the umbilical cord.
Encouraging Breastfeeding
He suggests all the doctors who agree with his hypothesis to support the women who choose to breastfeed their children. Protein is important for the development of brain functions so that the child will become an active baby, just like he or she should be.
Blood Tests
The best thing about this great news is that it is easy to test for these biomarkers or proteins; it is enough for the child to have a blood test for the doctors to measure the protein levels.
Drugs
If people think that this issue is important enough, they should also think about all the different kinds of medication that some women take during their pregnancy that lower the IGF levels of the baby. IGF can stimulate the brain of the baby in a special way, as a result of which the brain will produce myelin, which will cover the newly formed nerves.
Although at the moment all this may seem far-fetched, we have the future of medicine in our hands and all it takes for it to have effects is for people to believe in it and to let it act.
