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Oxytocin: Promising Treatment for Autism Challenges

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Harborcompounding Pharmacy
Oxytocin: Promising Treatment for Autism Challenges

Autism is a term used to refer to a wide range of conditions characterized by challenges in verbal and nonverbal communication, repetitive behaviors, and social skills. It is also known as an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). As per the Centers for Disease Control, autism impacts approximately 1 out of 44 children in the United States today. Autism can be said to be one of the most concerning and growing problems affecting children. According to Autism Speaks, 1 in 54 children was diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder as of 2020. The condition is more prevalent in boys than girls, with boys four times as likely to be diagnosed.

As you know that many subtypes of autism exist, most controlled by genetic and environmental factors. As autism is a spectrum disorder, every person suffering from it has particular strengths and challenges. How people with autism think and solve problems can be highly skilled or severely challenged. Some people with ASD may need increased support in their daily lives, while others may need less support. In fact, in some cases, people are entirely independent.

Multiple factors may influence the development of autism as it is often accompanied by sensory sensitivities and medical issues like gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, seizures, sleep disorders, and mental health challenges, e.g., depression, attention issues, and anxiety.

The symptoms of autism usually become visible by the age of 2 or 3. Various development delays associated with autism can appear even earlier, as early as 18 months. Research proves that early intervention/diagnosis leads to positive outcomes later in life for people with autism.

Due to the fact that underlying causes of autism are unclear and symptoms can be wide, its treatment has been limited to interventional therapy to enhance brain development, social skills, and other facets of the condition. However, a particular hormone, already produced in most people, may have a role in autism as a condition as well as its treatment. And this hormone is oxytocin.

We'll take a closer look at autism as a condition, how oxytocin may play a role, and why oxytocin treatment can help with certain symptoms of autism.

Understanding Oxytocin Deficiency and Autism

According to earlier research, oxytocin, a hormone closely related to social behavior, is usually lower in children with autism. Even though natural oxytocin levels can vary among all children, low oxytocin levels are linked with poor social performance and communication, which is particularly high in ASD. When oxytocin deficiency is considered, autism may not always be an absolute cause. Still, some studies have shown a correlation between a gene abnormality with ASD that could be directly related to not having enough oxytocin. Therefore, children with autism who have lower oxytocin levels may portray more deficiencies in social interaction.

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