I didn't read that particular article as I couldn't find the link to what I read last fall. But yes that's very interesting and its a hot button issue for me, ergo the wall of text to follow...
There is something different with many children in the last 20+ years. Look at autism. I first heard of the term cutters in 2002, they were children who cut themselves to physically deal with the emotional pain they are experiencing. Now at the time I thought this was a social disease brought on by a sick culture and entertainment industry. I saw that as a product of cultural changes, degeneration of the family, emo music, goths and also the psych meds that were getting "forced" on kids.
Fast forward a decade and issues arose in my children. Around about 2 and 4 years old, they started to be bad, hyper, uncontrollably difficult at times. We were the people in stores that "should have wooped their kids right then and there" - as if we didn't already try that and a lot of other things, it just didnt work. If that wasn't bad enough, my daughter at three started behaving almost like with autism, she stopped talking, stopped playing opting to just line toys up, ate and slept little, was scared and violent. She stated she wanted to be a boy. All this at three years old. Thankfully we saw a very competent doctor who referred us to a specialist who diagnosed with her PANDAS, which is suite of mental issues caused by the body's immune system attacking the brain. This can be triggered by strep but also other infections like Lyme in which case its labeled PANS. Antibiotics and IgG brought them both back to a normal healthy childhood. However, my son has relapsed as of last year where he was exposed to strep from working at the dairy. Everday life is again very stressful and difficult for him and family so we are hoping to get to treatment soon.
We aren't the only ones going through this. I talk with people in my generation who see similar things in their own children: autism, depression, eating disorders, anxiety, tics, OCD, bedwetting at late ages. Most are opting for psych meds. Stats show 13% are on psych meds. So the question is - what changed? Mainstream med was claiming genetics certainly for autism but that is slowly being dropped. Its known that excess folate supplementation in pregnancy is linked to autism. Infections like cytomegelovirus and rubella are too.
On a larger scale if its all genetic we might as well say that smoking is a healthy habit because some smokers live to 90; those that die from cancer and emphysema are genetic defectives. And to your point on pollution, in utero-exposure to road pollution is linked with autism (
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34627014/) . Society had introduced so many things in so short of time that it is very difficult to determine cause and effect. In the above study was it automobile exhaust? Or particulates from tire wear? (
https://www.theguardian.com/environ...e-particle-pollution-than-exhausts-tests-show).
One more interesting tid-bit. Its not just kids taking psych meds but adults. Have we changed too? Regardless, a recent study showed that psych meds themselves cause antibiotic resistance.
https://arstechnica.com/science/202...ced-by-the-widespread-use-of-antidepressants/
