Hello, It's been a Crazy Ride

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Hello, I have browsed here and decided to post, not so much for me, per se, but also for my three cousins and four nephews who are on the spectrum (very prevalent in my family). I was born at 29 weeks, and spent the first 7 months in nICU; I have had more than 70 major operations in my lifetime, and spent close to eight years of my 30+ years of life in hospitals (I wonder if the extensive hospitalizations affected my neurological makeup - some of the stuff that the staff did to me during my months in ICU because of my struggles would violate the Joint Commission policies in every sense - too triggering to write - none of this was in a so-called "behavioral" hospital). Until middle school, I had no friends that were my age; my first friend was 57 when I was five; we stayed friends for 10 years until he died of a heart attack (very heavyset). Most of my friends are/were 25-50 years older than I.

With that said, I have done fairly well; I have a full-time salaried job that pays well; I own a house, and I manage people. However, there are times where I know that I'm different, and I tend to get embarrassed by it. I can "fake it until I make it" when I am at work, but it exhausts me. I do get frustrated by it, probably moreso now than when I was younger. I can't imagine how difficult it was for my siblings to live with me (but hey, they would get 3-4 month breaks while I would be hospitalized ). I do try to help other parents with their children who struggle with this.

My adolescent nephews are brilliant, but have no social skills (but are very sensitive); they both have an "IT" type mind, and I think they'll be successful, especially with the increasing awareness. I have one nephew that's going to college, and another nephew who is seven, and is severely autistic (non-verbal). Being a bit older, I was raised in a "sink-or-swim" kind of environment, which has pushed me (and has nearly broken me a few times) to do well. One cousin works in a hospital, and owns a home (he is my age), and one cousin (slightly younger) has struggled to hold a job, and still lives at home. However, she is desperate to live on her own. I have a cousin who is severely autistic as well (also non-verbal - he is uncle to the seven year-old who is severely autistic).

This is me, and my background in a nutshell (not really, there's so much more).

Welcome to Wrong Planet.

Welcome to Wrong Planet!

Autism is primarily genetic. But from my perspective the traits of autism is a function of genetic combined with something else. And I suspect this something else is trauma during the birth process.

One form of trauma stands out; that of asphyxiation. Birth asphyxia occurs when a baby doesn't receive enough oxygen before, during or just after birth. There are many reasons that birth asphyxia may occur.

Some of the causes of decreased oxygen before or during the birth process may include:
* Inadequate oxygen levels in the mother's blood due to heart or respiratory problems or lowered respirations caused by anesthesia.
* Low blood pressure in the mother.
* Inadequate relaxation of the uterus during labor that prevents oxygen circulation to the placenta.
* Early separation of the placenta from the uterus, called placental abruption.
* Compression of the umbilical cord that decreases blood flow.
* Poor placenta function that may occur with high blood pressure or in post-term pregnancies, particularly those past 42 weeks.

Perinatal asphyxia results from compromised placental or pulmonary gas exchange. This disorder can lead to hypoxia (lack of oxygen) and hypercarbia (increased carbon dioxide levels) in the blood. Severe hypoxia results in anaerobic glycolysis and lactic acid production first in the peripheral tissues (muscle and heart) and then in the brain. Ischemia (lack of sufficient blood flow to all or part of an organ) is both a cause and a result of hypoxia. Hypoxia and acidosis can depress myocardial function, leading to hypotension and ischemia. Ischemia can impair oxygen delivery, causing further compromise, as well as disrupt delivery of substrate and removal of metabolic and respiratory by-products (e.g., lactic acid, carbon dioxide).

Asphyxia can occur before, during, or after birth. Based on a review of multiple studies that have examined the temporal relationship between obstetric events and neonatal outcomes, predominantly hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy in term infants, the proportion of conditions that occurs in each time period can be estimated.

Antepartum events (occurring not long before childbirth), such as maternal hypotension or trauma, account for 4 to 20 percent of cases. Intrapartum events (occurring in the time period spanning childbirth, from the onset of labor through delivery of the placenta), such as placental abruption or umbilical cord prolapse [such as a pinched umbilical cord during delivery], are seen in 56 to 80 percent. Evidence of intrapartum disturbance (e.g., meconium-stained amniotic fluid or severe fetal heart rate abnormalities) occurs in 10 to 35 percent, usually in association with an antenatal risk factor, such as diabetes mellitus, preeclampsia, or intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). In approximately 10 percent of cases, a postnatal insult occurs, usually caused by severe cardiopulmonary abnormalities or associated with prematurity.

Neonatal encephalopathy following perinatal asphyxia is considered an important cause of later neurodevelopmental impairment in infants born at term. A few studies suggest:
* Elevated rates of hyperactivity in children with moderate neonatal encephalopathy.
* Autism in children with moderate and severe neonatal encephalopathy.

So perhaps being born prematurely at 29 weeks and then spending 7 months in ICU may be part of the mix that made you - you.

Hi there Whatacrazyride,

I hope you can find the knowledge you are looking for here, we have some brilliant minds, as evidenced above and many adults who came to to Autism community later in life. There can be at times a collective wisdom here, an open source type approach to understanding ASD.

The Parents discussion section can be slow at times, but the General Autism Discussion is usually busier and a generally a good starting point.

Welcome to Wrong Planet!

Welcome.