Chromium exposure ups autism risk in kids

Washington: Children exposed to two air toxins chromium and styrene while in the womb and during the first two years of life may have increased odds of developing autism, according to a new study.

Prenatal and early exposure to the highest amounts of chromium, a heavy metal, increased the risk for autism by 65 percent, said researchers from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health.

Styrene, found in car exhaust and industrial emissions, doubled the risk for the neurodevelopmental disorder, the investigators found.

Autism spectrum disorders a range of conditions involving social deficits and communication difficulties affect one of every 68 children in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“These findings are preliminary,” said lead researcher Evelyn Talbott, a professor of epidemiology.