A group of Swedish researchers were asking Swedish families about the physical components of their homes, in an attempt to study the correlation between indoor air pollutants and allergies. To their surprise, they stumbled across a correlation between autism and four home life indicators:
" Vinyl or PVC floors
" Smoking on the part of the mother
" Family economic problems
" Condensation on windows, indicating poor home ventilation
Out of the 4,779 children between the ages of 6 and 8 included in the survey, 72 had autism. Although the study was originally intended to focus on childhood allergies and asthma, the researchers realized they might be on to something.
The link between low income and asthma is fairly sturdy here in the United States, although studies have not previously correlated autism incidence with family income levels. Interestingly enough, a recent study did find that having an autistic child severely reduced a family's income, presumably because parents were forced to make choices like reducing their work hours in order to care for their child. Read more
