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Last updated 10:37 pm CT February 08, 2010.
To Your Health: Autism Linked to Rain
Kids who live in the rainy northwest spend more time indoors, so they watch more television, don't get as much vitamin D, and may be exposed to more toxins coming from rain.
That's according to Cornell University researchers. Their study says those factors may trigger autism in genetically susceptible children.
University of Portland Professor Ellyn Arwood says the public shouldn't jump to conclusions.
"Is it interesting? Yes. Does it need more research? Yes. Are there questions there that aren't answered? Yes," Arwood says.
The Cornell team focused on children in California, Oregon, and Washington. They say autism appears more often in rainy and snowy counties.
Arwood says it's worth looking at environmental factors. "Maybe the rain does have environmental..... pollution on the west coast from China."
The Autism Society of America is disputing the research. The president says--"Places that have less precipitation have essentially the same prevalence - based on the study, you'd think that Arizona would have fewer cases than Washington, and that doesn't seem to be the case. We're not seeing such huge differences from state to state."
Researchers have previously found that people who live in rainy parts of the country are more susceptible to psychological disorders like depression.
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