Study finds slightly higher risk of autism diagnosis in areas with more lithium in drinking water, but experts say more research is needed | CNN

Lithium Levels Linked to Autism Diagnosis, But More Research Needed

A new study published Monday has found a small association between high levels of lithium in drinking water and an increased risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children. The research, conducted in Denmark, suggests that exposure to higher concentrations of lithium during pregnancy may be linked to a modestly higher risk of ASD diagnosis.

The findings are based on data from 8,842 cases of ASD and 43,864 participants who did not have the condition, collected from a database of people with psychiatric disorders. The researchers measured the concentration of lithium in 151 public waterworks that served more than half of the Danish population and mapped out where pregnant women lived.

The study found that as lithium levels in water increased, there was a modest increase in risk of ASD diagnosis. Specifically, those who had exposure to the second and third highest levels during pregnancy had a 24% to 26% higher risk compared to those at the lowest level. The group with the highest exposure had a 46% higher risk than those at the lowest level.

However, experts caution that the association does not show a direct link between lithium exposure and autism diagnosis. "Any drinking water contaminants that may affect the developing human brain deserve intense scrutiny," said study co-author Dr. Beate Ritz, but further research is needed to confirm the findings.

The implications of the findings are complex for public health policy. On one hand, high levels of lithium in water have been linked to lower rates of hospitalization for psychiatric disorders and suicide. On the other hand, if associations between environmental exposure and ASD are confirmed, guidelines for lithium in drinking water would need to be reevaluated.

Other studies have suggested connections between ASD and environmental exposures to pesticides, air pollution, and phthalates, but none have found a direct cause of the disorder. "It's an interesting association, but causation is definitely not proven," said Dr. Max Wiznitzer, director of the Rainbow Autism Center at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital in Cleveland.

The link between environmental exposure and ASD remains difficult to prove, with research showing that increased exposure to air pollution raises the risk of giving birth to a child with ASD, but it's unclear whether pollution is the determining factor or just associated with populations who live in more polluted areas. "We have to figure out how to basically safely navigate them," Wiznitzer said.

More research is needed to confirm the findings and understand the relationship between lithium exposure and autism diagnosis.

i'm kinda surprised about this study, didn't expect them to find a link between lithium in water & autism risk ... but at the same time, it makes total sense? like we all know that too much of anything can be bad for us, so maybe high lithium levels are just one more thing to watch out for? also, i wish they'd done more research on this, 'cause 24-26% higher risk isn't super reassuring... guess you could say it's a bit of a double-edged sword: low lithium levels might be bad for psychiatric disorders but high levels are linked to autism

this study is interesting, but 24-26% increase in risk for what? 1 in 54 kids already get ASD diagnosis... isn't that a bigger red flag

oh man, this study has me thinking... if lithium levels are linked to autism diagnosis in kids, what about all those people who have been taking lithium for mental health issues their whole lives? did they increase their risk of getting autism or is it just a coincidence?

also, can we talk about how weird it is that high lithium levels in water increase the risk of ASD but still lower rates of hospitalization for psychiatric disorders and suicide? like, what's going on here? are they canceling each other out or something?

and don't even get me started on the implications for public health policy... if we're gonna reevaluate guidelines for lithium in drinking water, aren't we also gonna have to think about how that affects people who take lithium meds for mental health issues? it's like, what's next? are we gonna start testing everyone's water for toxins too?

anyway, just food for thought... more research is definitely needed on this one

just saw this link about autism and lithium levels think its kinda weird that they found a connection but like, we still need more info maybe its related to water quality or something have you guys heard of anyone with autism who's had high lithium levels?

I'm not sure what's more concerning, the fact that high levels of lithium in drinking water might be linked to a higher risk of autism diagnosis or that we still don't fully understand how environmental exposures like this one could be causing it . I mean, it's already hard enough to pinpoint the causes of ASD without adding another factor to the mix. Can we really blame the environment for something as complex as autism? And what about all those other factors that might be at play here? Like air pollution and pesticides? It's like trying to solve a puzzle with missing pieces . We need more research, but I'm not sure even then if we'll get to the bottom of it

I'm not sure what's going on with our water supply . I mean, I've been hearing about lithium levels in water for years now, but it never seemed like a big deal. But now this new study comes out saying that high levels of lithium could be linked to autism diagnosis? That's some wild stuff .

I'm all for keeping our kids safe and healthy, but we can't just jump to conclusions here . I mean, the association is there, but it's not like they've found a direct cause-and-effect thing going on . We need more research, for sure. And what about the other environmental factors that are supposedly linked to ASD? Pesticides, air pollution, phthalates... it's all just so confusing .

I'm not saying we should be freaking out or anything , but it would be nice if our water suppliers could give us some more transparency about what's in our tap water. And if there is a problem, how do we fix it? It's just one of those things that makes you go "huh?"

so this study from Denmark says that high levels of lithium in water are linked to a higher risk of autism, but honestly it's all pretty unclear right now . I mean they found an association, which is one thing, but causation is whole different ball game . And what about the fact that exposure to air pollution raises the risk of giving birth to a child with autism? Is that just correlation or what?

I'm not saying we should be freaking out and changing our drinking water or anything, but it's kinda interesting that there are more studies popping up about environmental exposures and autism. I think they're all trying to figure out the same thing: how do we keep our communities safe for kids with autism ? Maybe this study is just a start .

We need more research, duh , but at least now there's some conversation going on about it . It's not like it's a new topic or anything .

OMG, can't believe this ! High levels of lithium in water linked to autism diagnosis? It's like, what's next? Are we gonna start seeing a rise in super smart kids or something? For real though, 24-26% increase in risk is pretty significant. We need more research but this is def worth investigating! Maybe it's just my imagination but I think the whole thing with pollution and air quality being linked to ASD is pretty mind-blowing too... like, are we living in a toxic bubble or what?