Dear researchers, being pregnant is linked to autism. You’re welcome.

Dear researchers,

I am writing to you to ask you to please stop.

Stop trying to find a way to blame mothers. Stop reaching for any and every single thing you can think of to link to a cause of autism.

Stop scaring people. Stop making people think that they have to move, lose weight, have kids early, wait for a second child and any number of other things that you’re scaring people to death with.

Stop making moms think that having a fever will cause autism but taking Tylenol for a fever will cause autism too. Stop making moms think that they have to space out their pregnancies but they also can’t be too old.

Just stop!

I understand you’re just trying to find the truth. I understand that you’re just trying to get more information.

However, this is getting beyond ridiculous.

I have put together this small list of the most recent studies just to give you some small idea of just how out of hand this is becoming.

Ways to blame moms for autism

Closely spaced births:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21220394?dopt=Abstract

Premature birth:
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20111018/Premature-infants-more-likely-to-develop-autism.aspx

Prenatal “complications”:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-7610.1990.tb00820.x/abstract

Not using prenatal vitamins:
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-05-early-prenatal-vitamins-autism.html

Living close to a freeway:
http://articles.latimes.com/2010/dec/16/health/la-he-autism-20101217

Being overweight:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304072004577328203742847094.html

Smoking:
http://www.opposingviews.com/i/health/addiction/autism-linked-moms-who-smoke

Having a fever:
http://www.latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-heb-fevers-pregnancy-autism-20120523,0,6934232.story

Being pregnant linked to autism

At this point, can we all just agree that being pregnant is a link to autism? Giving birth is a link to autism. Being alive is a link to autism.

No, they’re not the causes but they are linked! Breathing is linked to autism. Opening your eyes is linked to autism. A heart beat is linked to autism.

The refrigerator mom theory is dead and in the past. Can you please just leave it in the past?

Enough is enough.

Stop pointing fingers.

Now you know that being born is a link to autism, you can start putting your time, energy and money into doing something that is actually helpful.

You’re welcome.