Co-exposure to lead and cadmium is associated with increased severity of social deficits in children with autism spectrum disorders

These results demonstrate that both nutritional imbalances and co-exposure to heavy metals such as lead and cadmium are significantly associated with behavioral symptoms and neurodevelopmental outcomes in ASD. The findings underscore the importance of integrating routine nutritional surveillance and assessment of environmental heavy metal exposure to guide personalized interventions in this population. These cross-sectional associations warrant further investigation in larger, longitudinal studies that incorporate detailed dietary and environmental assessments to explore potential causal mechanisms.