Breakthrough: Blood Test Accurately Detects Autism with Near 100% Precision
Researchers have identified certain proteins that, when present, almost certainly indicate autism. The goal: to advance treatment for children.
(Photo: shutterstock)One in every 68 babies is autistic, according to the latest data. The causes of autism are still not clear, but it appears that diagnosis is likely to become simpler than it was in the past.
Researchers attempting to identify the causes of autism examined 83 children between the ages of 3-10 who were diagnosed with autism. Based on their examination, the researchers managed to assemble a group of 24 proteins previously linked to autism, and it turns out that when five of them are combined, they indicate autism in the vast majority of cases.
According to existing data, autism can be predicted with a very high accuracy of 96% via a blood test, unlike the current situation where children are diagnosed only through behavioral observation, which is possible only at the end of their first year of life. Researchers now state that if the research continues and proves these findings, it will be possible to diagnose possible autism at any age, even before birth.
The good news is that parents will be able to diagnose their child while they are still young and accordingly begin treatment programs at a very early stage. Whereas currently the typical age for diagnosis is two years, it seems that in the future it will be significantly earlier.
