Somalis concerned about autism alarm
A previously unknown health problem has been identified among families with Somali background in Rinkeby-Kista in Stockholm. Their children are three to four times more likely to develop autism. The National Board are noting the problem now. Vitamin D deficiency is launched as an explanation.
It was just over two years ago as the first warning signs came. A small comparison, between 17 autistic children with Somali backgrounds and other children, showed that the risk of getting autism was three to four times greater for the Somali children.
These figures confirmed what the Somalis warned themselves for and child health care especially in Rinkeby-Kista imagined.
Autism development has caused great concern and fear. We demand proper investigations and that all the families will get to know why, said Hagi Mohamed Farah, civic worth in Rinkeby and chairman of Järva Parents Alliance.
One effect is that many Somali families no longer vaccinates their children against measles, mumps and rubella because of fear of autism. Rumors of this relationship occurred in Britain and the United States but has been rejected by scientific controls.
The development led to the National Board holding it's first meeting this September with concerned and they will shortly publish a report on their website. The report will show that measles vaccine does not confer autism and that children therefore should be vaccinated. The scripture also raises the suspicion that vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women could harm the fetus and, in turn, cause autism. It is a controversial theory that has not yet been proven scientifically, but several studies are ongoing.
The link with the Somali group would then be that people with dark skin are more difficult to form vitamin D from the sunlight. The significantly fewer hours of sunlight in Sweden would be able to carry that Somali women in Sweden are particularly exposed to the risk of low vitamin D levels.
The report points out the importance of the sun and eating a diet containing vitamin D, like oily fish, eggs, milk and butter.
-Vitamin D deficiency might be a partial explanation for autism, but hardly the whole truth. There are probably more reasons, such as genetic sensitivity, says Saida Muny, an interpreter and cashier of Järva Parents Alliance.