Natural lithium in drinking water may be an environmental risk factor for autism

A new study led by UCLA health researchers found that pregnant women with high levels of lithium in their home tap water had a slightly higher risk of their offspring being diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder.

Research published on April 3 JAMA Pediatricsbelieved to be the first to identify naturally occurring lithium in drinking water as a potential environmental risk factor for autism.

Drinking water contaminants that can affect the developing human brain need to be thoroughly scrutinized. In the future, the use and disposal of lithium batteries in landfills with potential groundwater contamination may lead to more prevalent anthropogenic sources of lithium in water. Our findings are based on high-quality Danish data, but need to be replicated in other populations and regions of the world.”

Beate Ritz, MD, PhD, Principal Study Author, Professor of Neurology at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine and Professor of Epidemiology and Environmental Health at UCLA Fielding School of Public Health

Due to the mood-stabilizing effects of lithium, some lithium compounds have long been used to treat depression and bipolar disorder. However, there is some debate about whether pregnant mothers can safely take lithium, and there is growing evidence that it increases the risk of miscarriage and heart abnormalities or defects in the newborn.

Ritz, who studies how environmental exposures affect neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders, has conducted human studies on how lithium affects brain growth and development. He said he decided to investigate a possible link between lithium and autism risk after finding that there was little Still, she says, several studies suggest that lithium, one of several naturally occurring metals commonly found in water, can influence key molecular pathways involved in neurodevelopment and autism. I discovered something.

Zeyan Liew, Ph.D., M.P.H., lead author of the study and assistant professor of epidemiology at Yale School of Public Health, said that because previous research results from Denmark using high-quality medical registry data have already shown , added that the study is important. Chronic, low-dose lithium intake through alcohol consumption may influence the development of adult-onset neuropsychiatric disorders. However, no studies have been conducted to assess whether lithium from drinking water consumed by pregnant women affects neurodevelopment in children.

Ritz and Liew collaborated with Danish researchers to analyze lithium levels in 151 Danish public water supplies. To identify which water supply was supplied to the mother’s home during pregnancy, the researchers used address information from Denmark’s comprehensive civil registry system. Using a national database of patients with mental disorders, the researchers identified children born between her 1997 and her 2013 years, 12,799 of her children diagnosed with autism and those with autism. compared 63,681 children without a diagnosis ofresearchers too It controlled for maternal characteristics, several socioeconomic factors, and exposure to air pollution, all of which are associated with an increased risk of autism in children.

Researchers report that as lithium levels rose, so did the risk of being diagnosed with autism. Lithium levels in the second and third quartiles were associated with a 24–26% higher risk of autism compared with the lowest quartile of recorded lithium levels, i.e., the 25th percentile. Risk was 46% higher in the top quartile compared to the bottom quartile.

When the researchers grouped the data by disorder subtype, they found a similar relationship between elevated lithium levels and an increased risk of autism diagnosis. They also found that the association between lithium levels and autism risk was slightly stronger in people living in urban areas than in small towns and rural areas.

In addition to Denmark’s comprehensive civic database, which has proven to be a valuable resource for public health researchers, several other factors made Denmark ideal for this study. Denmark’s consumption of bottled water is among the lowest in Europe, and Danes rely primarily on tap water. The country also has robust systems for measuring trace metals and other contaminants in water supplies.Danish water is likely to have higher levels of lithium than other countries, Ritz said. in the low to moderate range.

Other study authors include Qi Meng and Qi Yan, both from UCLA, Danish researchers Jörg Schullehner, Birgitte Hansen, Søren Munch Kristiansen, Denitza D. Voutchkova, Jørn Olsen, Annette Kjær Ersbøll, Matthias Ketzel, and Ole Raaschou-Nielsen. It is included.