4 – Non-optimal outcomes of lesser degrees of
asphyxia
Faro and Windle discussed the long-term effects of
less severe asphyxia (duration less than 7 minutes).  
Slight damage in the inferior colliculus and thalamus
was found, but secondary transneuronal changes
were not detected in these cases.

Faro and Windle made special note that, "The
monkeys developing atrophic secondary brain
damage had been severely affected by the primary
neuronal loss incurred with the birth asphyxia, and in
early life exhibited symptoms comparable with human
cerebral palsy.

The symptoms gradually disappeared with time (as is
strikingly shown in motion picture records of some of
them)," p 51.  Four similarly asphyxiated monkeys with
severe neurologic deficits initially, kept alive for nearly
10 years appeared overtly normal, but poor manual
dexterity and short memory spans remained as
residual handicaps.  They noted the possible similarity
of human infants with initial deficits in development,
but who by 4 years of age present no detectible
neurologic deficits.  Poor manual dexterity is one of
the "soft neurological signs" often found in children
with autism.

Not taking into account these findings of Faro and
Windle is to overlook the obvious.  Many children with
autism suffered perinatal complications; but these are
most frequently dismissed as "minimal" or "mild" or
without any unifying factor.  Oxygen deprivation (or
respiratory lapse) is the unifying factor and cause for
great concern in all perinatal complications.
It would seem time to acknowledge and scrutinize
again the important and irreplicable data gathered by
Faro and Windle.

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2. Egaas B et al (1995)
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3. Piven J et al (1997) An
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4. Grünwald F et al (1993)
   Changes in local cerebral
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   of ethanol.
   
5. Rosenhall U et al (1988)
   Oculomotor findings in
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6. Miller MT et al (1998) The
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7. Miller MT, Stromland K.
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