Comments on: Another Test to Detect Autism Earlier

By: Melody

Melody — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 03:54:30 +0000

“Charlie’s often had trouble pulling a shirt over his head—-no turtlenecks.”

LOL same here. My hat size is bigger than my dad’s, even when I was a teenager. I think he has fairly long eyelashes. About shirt head holes — it’s even worse when you have huge glasses! I need to take them off before I can begin to think about changing clothes.

By: daedalus2u

daedalus2u — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 17:32:51 +0000

Many types of hair follicles are sensitive to androgens and are stimulated by them. This is the mechanism for most growth of pubic hair around puberty. I don’t know if eye lash hair is androgen sensitive.

Androgen synthesis is inhibited by NO, so low NO causes increased androgen levels. I think this is the mechanism for PCOS and being hirsute.

I think the stimulation of hair by low NO is a feedback mechanism to stimulate the growth of the bacteria I am working with. Low NO increases androgen levels, that causes hair to increase and expands the niche where the bacteria live, increasing the NO/NOx they produce.

By: Another Laura

Another Laura — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 16:52:51 +0000

This represents progress. As some one who still wonders is-he-or-isn’t he, I welcome the introduction of biological markers, even if they’re not dispositive. Also, it might bring more parents into the fold – the parents who aren’t persuaded by the vague DSM-IV diagnostic criteria.

By: Regan

Regan — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 16:34:23 +0000

Very interesting comments about the eyelashes.
Eleanor has a big head…but all of us do in the family. As Kristina commented–no turtlenecks (smile).
But the eyelashes are something distinctive, and different from others in the family. People almost invariably commented on Eleanor’s “long lashes” when she was a baby and young child.

By: superpanda

superpanda — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 16:33:45 +0000

My boy has big head and long eyelashes! He is pretty slim… he looks like a lollipop from far! Most autistic kids I met are very handsome.

By: Kristina Chew, PhD

Kristina Chew, PhD — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:59:28 +0000

Here’s something about the study on accelerated head growth. Charlie’s often had trouble pulling a shirt over his head—-no turtlenecks.

By: sherry

sherry — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:04:05 +0000

Both of my boys have autism and the very long eye lashes but only one has a big head. My oldest has trouble getting his shirt on. He is a very slim 5 year old. Still fits in most of his 4T clothes but you really have to stretch to get it over his head. Both boys are beautiful. We always get comments from total strangers about them. I too see that all the kids at school with my son are very good looking kids.

By: Bonnie

Bonnie — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:57:00 +0000

Gee, Casey has a big head and long eyelashes. It’s just a given then I suppose!

By: donald savitz

donald savitz — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:52:36 +0000

How nic that we are going to have another test tofind out if the child has autism or not. Some questions on this new toy! First is at what age is this going to be good for is it giong to tell at the time of birth or we stell have to wait tell they are 2 or 3 after they have gotten the vaccines? If you have to waitthat long then what good is?

By: Storkdok

Storkdok — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 12:10:41 +0000

My son’s head is and has always been in the small/normal range and never had an increased growth rate as an infant/toddler.

I’ve had a lot of moms ask me about head circumference on the Cafemom autism group since that one study a year or two ago that looked at an increase in head circumference growth rate in children with autism.

There was also a lot of talk a few years ago about the “tilt” test in infants/toddlers and whether that could screen for ASD.