According to an article in Environmental Health News, entitled Scientists Find 'Baffling' Link between Autism and Vinyl Flooring:
Children who live in homes with vinyl floors, which can emit chemicals called phthalates, are more likely to have autism, according to research by Swedish and U.S. scientists published Monday.Of course, the article DOES go on to note that the study is tiny, uncontrolled, and inconclusive - but most parents will have stopped reading before reaching this later paragraph:
...The scientists were surprised by their finding, calling it "far from conclusive." Because their research was not designed to focus on autism, they recommend further study of larger numbers of children to see whether the link can be confirmed.The study, which involved only surveys (no actual measurements of phthalates in homes), is clearly - at most - a glance in the direction of environmental factors related to autism. Yet articles on the study have already appeared in Scientific American and The Chicago Tribune.
In just the past few years, high profile articles on potential causes of autism have filled the airwaves. Could it be... television? cell phones? prenatal depression on the part of moms (apparently that one has been recently debunked)? advanced paternal age? rain? pesticides? vaccines? contrails? ultrasounds? tuna fish? dyes? So far, since the answers remain elusive, the possibilities remain... endless.
Anyone not involved with the autism community might wonder - why are there headlines in major papers about a tiny, uncontrolled survey study that didn't even focus on autism? It's a good question, and one that should, perhaps, occur to journalists before they send parents scurrying to rip up their bedroom and kitchen floors!
On that note: a few links to articles that may help parents separate the "autism causes" wheat from the chaff:
It looks like the vinyl floor study might be associated with a study on vinyl flooring and asthma/allergy (see link below). A connection between vinyl flooring and asthma/allergy seems more logical to me than a connection to autism. But who knows?
http://www.ie.dtu.dk/News.asp?ID=88