A couple of days ago I received an email from Kathy Petersen about an article that appeared here.
The article made me stop and re-read, if nothing else, for the immense implication it could potentially have on the study of Autism. While, you can read the article by following the link above, I will try to simplify it below:
Epidural is given to the laboring mother to supposedly help her manage pain during labor. It makes the body numb from the waist down and typically slows the process of labor, leading mothers unable to keep pushing, often causing the need for cesarean operation or forceps delivery. Other side effects include onset of low blood pressure, shivering, loss of bladder control, back pain after birth, spinal headache or nerve damage. In some cases mothers have been known to have convulsions, and in rare cases, brain damage has occurred. Another drug, Pitocin is very widely used in Indian hospitals to speed up labor. When administered, Pitocin is known to cross the Placenta to the baby’s body.
Typically, in hospitals, a “cocktail” of drugs Pitocin and Epidural is given to mothers in labor. The article’s author claims that this cocktail of drugs “has the potential of skewing the brain if the infant is unable genetically to process the drugs quickly through its system”. When Pitocin crosses over to the baby, adequate production of an enzyme found in the liver (CYP 3A4) is required to rid it from the baby’s body.
CYA 3A4 is found to combine with another naturally occurring hormone called Oxytocin, which together help in brain development.
When Epidural and Pitocin are given to the mother and when they cross over to the baby, Pitocin’s intensity increases, in babies which cannot produce CYP 3A4 in adequate quantities, causing brain development to shut off early. Another enzyme, MAO-A is known to control the production of Seratonin. As a result of the drug combination, as the child ages, MAO-A levels decrease, causing Seratonin levels to increase, affecting communication, speech, emotion and bonding.
The article quotes heavily from the researcher who invented Respen-A, a homeopathic medicine that claims to curb production of Seratonin, allowing for a more normal brain function. It is not clear if the article in unbiased in nature – however, the claims regarding the cause and effect of Epidural and Pitocin on Autism certainly forces parents and caregivers to sit up and take notice.
In India, Epidural and Pitocin are used very frequently, typical in 80% of cases.
What has been your experience?