Autism is a life altering mental health, neurological, and growth development complication that plagues thousands of children each year. If your child has been diagnosed with autism, it is important to become familiar with the role that hormones may play, including the impact of the mood stabilizing hormone serotonin.
Serotonin is a mood stabilizing hormone that naturally develops in the body. While there are some foods and beverages that can alter the production of serotonin, it typically produces in the required levels needed based upon brain development and then neurons are responsible for the uptake, or production, of serotonin as needed.
When meeting with a physician about the issues of autism in your child, it is important to ask your doctor about the testing for autism but to also test for hormonal issues including the testing of serotonin. While we typically think of our children as being too young to be tested for hormones, it is a fact that hormones are being produced and can be tested at a very young age. When found to be unbalanced, then medications to re-balance serotonin levels may be the first line of treatment to minimizing complications of what may appear to be autism.
Should serotonin levels show to be in balance in your child, then appropriate treatment for autism, including therapy, can be pursued. However, if you utilized maternal antidepressants during pregnancy, always ask that your child’s serotonin levels be re-assessed annually. In doing so, you’ll have the best possible documentation of your child’s health and progress as the autism treatment continues.
Serotonin, like many naturally occurring-hormones, can cause adverse health complications when not in proper balance. While serotonin, itself, is not solely the cause of autism or autistic spectrum disorders, it can adversely impact the symptoms of the condition. By having your child’s hormone levels regularly tested, and treating deficiencies or abundance properly, you may find that your child’s autism symptoms are reduced and controlled more effectively.
Sources: Coping with Children on the Autistic Spectrum, by Glen Liddell