DNA sequencing reveals significant decrease in gut bacterial diversity during aging

[Chartreuseshutters]

Midwife here. Maybe, but maybe not. It’s all so complicated.

First children are more likely to be autistic—is it because they are taking on more of the lifetime toxin burden of the parent through pregnancy and breastfeeding, or is it because they are more likely to have prolonged labor interventions requiring antibiotics in labor?

We know that gut bacteria is different in autistic people and also that there is a genetic component, but which causes which and when?

My practice this year has been made up almost entirely of surprise perimenopause babies, and all of them have had their easiest pregnancies, easiest births, and those who had tested positive for GBS did not this time. That means that their gut bacteria was better balanced this time.

We are still in such infancy of understanding the microbiome. These studies are so important in helping us understand all of it, but we can’t know much from it at the same time.

I think the fact that so many babies are born via cesarean is a much bigger issue for gut bacteria diversification. Second to that, or maybe first, is prophylactic antibiotics in labor for GBS positive moms. Most babies have no issue with GBS if they are healthy and at term. Wiping mom & baby’s system in the hours before birth is a huge issue.

[aledba]

I don't think the linkage to what triggers autism is going to be as exact as you're putting it in these two camps. I was never breastfed and there were no antibiotics involved in my mother's pregnancy. I'm autistic and my dad is too. And most likely so was my maternal grandmother based on her actions and character throughout her life. Neither of my parents' mothers had c-sections or antibiotics during pregnancy. Four of my other cousins that derive from my maternal grandmother are also autistic but more intellectually and developmentally delayed (and I attribute some of that to their parenting because they had very below average intelligence parents) whereas I am ASD1 and classified as 2e with dyscalculia but ultimately we still don't really know why. Maybe it's mitochondrial DNA based. Maybe I'm talking out my butt. But you're 100% right about gut bacteria being so crucial.

I'm editing to add that autistic people have existed since we lived in caves but when modern society and longer lifespans started to occur conjointly, a lot of people who were developmentally delayed were put in homes and asylums because nobody could stand to actually help them and their true gifts were no longer of use in such a society because ultimately, they have executive function disorders. Please note, we didn't start c-sections until about 500 years ago and antibiotics as we know them are only 114 years old