In our article published in the *Journal of Medical Genetics*, Etienne Danchin and I addressed the issue of genetics dominating the field of autism. Our aim was to challenge the simplistic claims found in the scientific literature and mainstream media—that “autism is X% genetic” (often cited as 80%!).
While it is true that a small percentage of cases are familial in origin, the vast majority of children with ASD are neither genetically caused nor even hereditary. We briefly addressed the limitations of the genetic approach, which is based on questionable statistical data—if only because one of the conditions that is never met—and which underpins their approach—is that the environment plays no role. Yet in humans, it is absolutely impossible to separate genetics from the environment, especially during pregnancy.
And that is precisely where all of this takes place, and the number of factors that can contribute to autism is enormous, including pollution, pesticides, and intrauterine inflammation of bacterial or viral origin—not to mention predispositions linked to obesity or diet, as has recently been shown, and so on. Above all, a pathological event in utero triggers a cascade of consequences, making it impossible to establish a direct link between a specific event (such as a genetic mutation) and the consequences diagnosed years later. Consequently, from a therapeutic standpoint, it is these changes that interest us, not the “initial” pathological event.
This article received widespread coverage in the national press, with various newspapers and magazines highlighting different aspects of the issue. Most (www.lavie.fr, Mediapart, Vincot’s blog, Informations Handicaps, etc.) focused on the topic itself, while others concentrated more on the nature versus nurture debate and genetics in the pathogenesis of autism (www.parents.fr, Presse.Agence, http://www.pourquoi-docteur, Fréquence Médicale, etc.).
What’s important for us is to emphasize the vulnerability of pregnancy, which is ultimately the main topic.
Photo Christian Bowen – Unsplash
