You see the headlines, “Autism increased tenfold,” “Autism 1 in 2 by 2025,” and you wonder if it’s really true and why. Well, the fact is that autism rates are increasing among children. In the 1970s, autism spectrum disorder was reported in 1 in 5,000 children. In 2009, it was 1 in 110. Currently, about 1...
Autism affects more than 3.5 million Americans, with boys four times more likely than girls to be afflicted, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says. Autism increased in children in the United States by 119 percent from 2000, when the rate was one child in 150, to 2010, when the rate was one...
April is Autism Awareness month. People all over the globe will be Lightning It Up Blue to shine a bright light on autism during World Autism Month! So what exactly is Autism? Autism is a neurological disorder that affects an individual’s social interaction, verbal and non-verbal communication, and repetitive or restrictive behaviors. The incidence of...Continue reading
You know about what happened to oil prices last year. And you know about the Paris and San Bernardino shootings. There was also the marriage equality ruling by the Supreme Court and the Baltimore protests. All newsworthy by any measure. But did you know that it was also a big year for sperm?
Name some issues brand new to this world in the last 100 years. How about nuclear war, environmental pollution and climate change? Medically, we can blame carpal tunnel syndrome on the typewriter or computer keyboard, and “automobile knee” on that awful car commute. Hard to know whether these marks on modern society are preferable to...Continue reading
What does it really mean to be a sibling of autism? To wake up each and every day knowing that someone in your family is different, abnormal, weird. It’s a question I’ve spent most of the last 12 years trying to answer. My brother Tyler (b. 1998) was diagnosed with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) in...Continue reading
The case of the month is an actual patient of The Turek Clinic. He appeared healthy. No issues with testosterone, erections,or sex drive. No infertility problem. No pain. No lumps or bumps. All dialed in with a primary care provider. He was even on time for his appointment. So, why was he here? “Doc, I’m 40...Continue reading
It’s called “mutational load.” Doesn’t sound all that pleasant does it? And, it’s ascribed mainly to men. Now, in addition to mid-life crises and retirement, it’s something new to think about as you age. Boning up for my keynote speech on “The Reproductive Genetics of the Aging Male” for the American Society of Andrology this weekend,...Continue reading
As the father of a healthy, exuberant 3-year old, Mike Levinstein was looking forward to the birth of his second child. The arrival of Eitan meant a brother for older sibling Jonah, and Mike and his wife Leah settled into the routine of raising their two boys. All children develop differently, so it wasn’t until...Continue reading
Thought you might like to know about this. While preparing for my speech to the American Urological Association next month on the risks of being an older dad, I came across this pretty compelling research relating a father’s age to autism in children. Autism Speaks Name the fastest growing serious developmental disorder in the U.S. Correct, it’s...Continue reading