CTE is a degenerative brain condition known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy. It has been linked to repeated blows to the head — the 2015 movie Concussion chronicled the discovery of CTE's connection to football.
This comes on the heels of the largest study ever of football’s effect on the brain. The study was revealed when a team of researchers based at Boston University and led by neuropathologist Ann McKee had examined a large databank of neural specimens from former NFL athletes and found that nearly all of them—110 out of 111, or 99 percent—showed signs of the degenerative brain condition known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE. This “startlingly high percentage” has since made headlines in nearly every major publication.
I am not interested in creating an article on the dangers of football injuries on the brain. What I want to impart here is the amount of time, effort, money and media coverage on this brain injury that is derived from a pre-chosen desire to participate in an obviously dangerous sport where head injuries are common.
Where is the media coverage and the studies to support findings that autism, epilepsy and a host of other neurological issues are trending upward due to radiation, GMO foods, chemically laced vaccines, fluoridated water, heavy metal toxins, etc.?
Based on parental responses to survey questions, approximately 15% of children in the United States ages 3 to 17 years were affected by neurodevelopmental disorders, including ADHD, learning disabilities, intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, autism, seizures, stuttering or stammering, moderate to profound hearing loss, blindness, and other developmental delays, in 2006–2008. Among these conditions, ADHD and learning disabilities had the greatest prevalence. Many children affected by neurodevelopmental disorders have more than one of these conditions: for example, about 4% of U.S. children have both ADHD and a learning disability.
These are statistics that are over 10 years old! The very fact that I can’t find any more recent ones is indicative of our country’s lack of focus on the important issues—our children!
Statistical breakdown of children being born with:
ADHD
Prevalence
ADHD is more common than doctors may have previously believed, according to statistics from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The report, released in November of 2013, shows that up to 11 percent of children aged 4-17 have been diagnosed with ADHD at some point in their lives. In 2003, it was only 7.8%. This is a definite increase in what is considered the number one neurodevelopmental issue in children.
Autism
Prevalence:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 1 in 68 children in the U.S. have autism. The prevalence is 1 in 42 for boys and 1 in 189 for girls. These rates yield a gender ratio of about five boys for every girl.
The latest estimate of autism prevalence—1 in 68—is up 30 percent from the 1 in 88 rate reported in 2008, and more than double the 1 in 150 rate in 2000. In fact, the trend has been steeply upward since the early 1990s, not only in the U.S. but globally. ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) is estimated to affect more than 2 million individuals in the U.S. And even the CDC admits that this is not accurate data. There are likely many more children with this neurological impairment but who have not been identified.
Epilepsy
In 2015, 1.2% of the total US population had active epilepsy.
This is about 3.4 million people with epilepsy nationwide: 3 million adults and 470,000 children.
According to the latest estimates, about 0.6% of children aged 0-17 years have active epilepsy. Think of a school with 1,000 students—this means about 6 of them could have epilepsy.
Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral Palsy is the most common of all childhood disabilities, affecting approximately three live births out of every thousand in the United States.
Studies over the past several decades have provided the following statistics, commonly quoted in the United States:
- About 764,000 children and adults currently have Cerebral Palsy
- About 500,000 children under age of 18 currently have Cerebral Palsy
- About two to three children out of every 1,000 have Cerebral Palsy (United States studies have yielded rates as low as 2.3 per 1,000 children to as high as 3.6 per 1,000 children)
- About 10,000 babies born each year will develop Cerebral Palsy
- Around 8,000 to 10,000 babies and infants are diagnosed per year with Cerebral Palsy
- Around 1,200 to 1,500 preschool-aged children are diagnosed per year with Cerebral Palsy
- Many of the parks and playgrounds are now set up with handicapped accessible swings for children to enjoy.
- There are now large foundations set up to assist children who are physically and mentally disabled.
- The blue disabled signs in front of big box stores are now being parked by young parents removing wheelchairs instead of elderly folks with canes.
- School nurses no longer just hand out acetaminophen for a headache. They are now responsible for one on one care of a severely disabled child. The costs associated with this are getting rather burdensome for the schools.
- It has become common place for people to be walking their children in wheelchairs and it is common to see helmets on children. Not too many years ago, it was a bit of an anomaly to see this, but not anymore.