Vaccinations and autism/ Developmental disabilities

[yo mama]

There are those in the scientific community that hypothesize that a certain percentage of kids have always been on the autism spectrum, but that we're just doing a better job of diagnosing and treating it today relative to 200 years ago. On the other hand, I was at a dinner last night and the presentation was about environmental toxins in our everyday life and their effect on reproductive health and child development. Autism wasn't the main topic, but it did come up. We actually discussed this Whomper's question and the universal answer by the health professionals and environmental specialists in the room was that the proven benefits of immunization outweigh the speculative risks. At least until better research indicates otherwise.

[TheShiznit]

My theory is that autism is greater because women do not breast feed anymore and nutrients in the breast milk necessary for regular development are not getting to the child. Couple that with the vaccines and maybe you have a cocktail of trouble. My question to people is did your wife breast feed?

 

Then the follow up question is do you have pics to prove it?

[yo mama]

My question to people is did your wife breast feed?

 

Then the follow up question is do you have pics to prove it?

Yes and yes.

[twiley]

My theory is that autism is greater because women do not breast feed anymore and nutrients in the breast milk necessary for regular development are not getting to the child. Couple that with the vaccines and maybe you have a cocktail of trouble. My question to people is did your wife breast feed?

 

Then the follow up question is do you have pics to prove it?

I know quite a few kids that weren't breast fed and they're fine. I wasn't and numerous people in my large family weren't either - no autism at all.

 

After doing a quick search, I actually found more "articles" that point to children that WERE breastfed and links to autism.

 

The problem is for every test out there that could point to your theory there's always one that's going to discredit it.

 

ETA: It's frustrating and scary.

Edited March 6, 2008 by twiley

[zmanzzzz]

You have no idea what you're talking about. Her book is wonderful for parents of children with autism.

 

she appears pretty dumb on tv, i didnt know she could write. good for her.

[Sturphy]

ETA: It's frustrating and scary.

Yeah, for sure.

[TheShiznit]

I know quite a few kids that weren't breast fed and they're fine. I wasn't and numerous people in my large family weren't either - no autism at all.

 

After doing a quick search, I actually found more "articles" that point to children that WERE breastfed and links to autism.

 

The problem is for every test out there that could point to your theory there's always one that's going to discredit it.

 

ETA: It's frustrating and scary.

 

It was really just a ploy to get pics posted.........

[twiley]

It was really just a ploy to get pics posted.........

[dmarc117]

this in the tribune today

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lif...,1,524728.story

[Sturphy]

this in the tribune today

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lif...,1,524728.story

I was just about to post this:

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/na...0,1882498.story

 

Same story. Good read.

[ABearWithFurniture]

Seeing how autism is there at birth this is all bunk...

[McBoog]

Yes and yes.

 

 

Us too. There is one from a low angle (from the foot of the bed while using the "special" pillow), that she has titled, "my two big hairy chichis". I know you can relate!

 

How are the twins? Doesn't get easier, jsut stays "hard" in an ever evolving way.

[McBoog]

A recent article from Scientific American Magazine

 

Its actually a pretty popular subject in the science mags. Personally, I wouldn't be concerned about it, but I don't have a kid about to get a shot either.

 

Vaccines may be what scientists call an “explanation in search of a phenomenon.”

 

This is what happens when you make a conclusion and then find the evidence to "prove" it. This is the exact opposite of the Scientific Method.

 

Scientific method refers to the body of techniques for investigating phenomena, acquiring new knowledge, or correcting and integrating previous knowledge...

 

...Scientific researchers propose hypotheses as explanations of phenomena, and design experimental studies to test these hypotheses. These steps must be repeatable in order to predict dependably any future results...

 

Among other facets shared by the various fields of inquiry is the conviction that the process must be objective to reduce a biased interpretation of the results. ...

 

Unfortunately in today's world with so many agendas driving "research", we end up with conclusions that were formulated to support a position and then a quest to find supporting "evidence" for those conclusions to validate the position. IT IS NOT SCIENCE.

 

Your kids will be fine (barring a history of autism in your family). The benefits way outweigh the dangers. Long term health problems related to measles infection are much more probable than autism caused by the vaccines based on current information. My three have all been fully vaccinated and have no problems. I on the otherhand have battled asthma and lung issues my whole life that seveloped AFTER I got the measles as a toddler. I researched this in depth before taking the "risk" with my children and had no doubt that the vaccines were the best way to go.

[yo mama]

Us too. There is one from a low angle (from the foot of the bed while using the "special" pillow), that she has titled, "my two big hairy chichis". I know you can relate!

 

How are the twins? Doesn't get easier, jsut stays "hard" in an ever evolving way.

Our twins are rockin'. Cute, well mannered, intelligent, hard working/playing tikes. They clearly get that from their mother. Or perhaps the pool man (which is weird, because we don't have a pool).

 

Baby sign language was the big break through for us. We've since abandoned it as unnecessary, but the ability to communicate made everything easier. Focusing on effective, age-appropriate communication skills has made such a difference. New challenges replaced old, but for the most part I'm not sure things could be going any better than they are. The work is demanding, as you know, but the Mrs. and I up for the task. They start preschool in a few months, which they've been ready for sometime. My daughter already knows more Spanish than I do. My son has memorized about a half dozen sizable books (like 'Twas A Night Before Christmas' and 'The Grinch That Stole Christmas'). So whatever we're doing, its working. I count my blessings. Every day.

[McBoog]

Our twins are rockin'. Cute, well mannered, intelligent, hard working/playing tikes. They clearly get that from their mother. Or perhaps the pool man (which is weird, because we don't have a pool).

 

Baby sign language was the big break through for us. We've since abandoned it as unnecessary, but the ability to communicate made everything easier. Focusing on effective, age-appropriate communication skills has made such a difference. New challenges replaced old, but for the most part I'm not sure things could be going any better than they are. The work is demanding, as you know, but the Mrs. and I up for the task. They start preschool in a few months, which they've been ready for sometime. My daughter already knows more Spanish than I do. My son has memorized about a half dozen sizable books (like 'Twas A Night Before Christmas' and 'The Grinch That Stole Christmas'). So whatever we're doing, its working. I count my blessings. Every day.

 

 

[Guest Chappy]

I haven't read the entire thread but from what I understand the MMR shot/s are the most concerning to parents/professionals and the fact that they're given at once instead of spread out. Many are requesting that they are given seperately Also, supposedly there's some type of fluid that was present in all shots but has since been removed because doctors thought it might have been linked to causing Autism. However, said fluid is supposedly still given in Flu shots. I forget the name of it and am trying to find it.

[Azazello1313]

I haven't read the entire thread but from what I understand the MMR shot/s are the most concerning to parents/professionals and the fact that they're given at once instead of spread out. Many are requesting that they are given seperately Also, supposedly there's some type of fluid that was present in all shots but has since been removed because doctors thought it might have been linked to causing Autism. However, said fluid is supposedly still given in Flu shots. I forget the name of it and am trying to find it.

 

you might try reading the thread

[twiley]

thermisol

 

thimerosal

 

Sorry, deerunk spelling.

Edited March 8, 2008 by twiley

[Guest Chappy]

you might try reading the thread

 

Yeah that definitely helped.

 

It's psych drugs the Scientologists don't like...do they have a problem with vaccination too?

 

Anyhow, pulled from today's news:

Link

 

Story Highlights

Government: Vaccines worsened a disorder that led to a girl's autism-like symptoms

 

Attorney: The government "has not conceded that vaccines cause autism"

 

Parents and advocates for autistic children see the case as a victory

 

Studies repeatedly have discounted any link between thimerosal and autism

 

I believe that's the one that they said has been linked to Autism. Even though that would oppose the statement made there.

[wiegie]

I just got back to lunch with one of my colleagues over here in Germany. We were talking about belief systems (mostly economic, but then also other beliefs, such as global warming, etc.). I asked if the belief that there is a link between immunizations and autism is common in Germany and my colleague said that not only is there not such a belief here, but also that he had never even heard of such an argument before.

[Egret]

Seeing how autism is there at birth this is all bunk...

... not always. While I don't firmly believe in a direct link between vaccinations and autism, I do believe there are environmental variables that play a role. Just like behavior in my classroom, I feel that biology loads the gun. Environment pulls the trigger. Everyone has different degrees of susceptibility. Everyone has different degrees of what they're being exposed to.

[Azazello1313]

Actually, we'll probably just do what our Pediatrician did and is doing for his 3yo daughter.

 

boy, there's a novel concept. these people who think they know better because they read something on the innernets really sort of burn me up. 7% not vaccinated and growing, putting everyone else's kids at risk.

[westvirginia]

boy, there's a novel concept. these people who think they know better because they read something on the innernets really sort of burn me up. 7% not vaccinated and growing, putting everyone else's kids at risk.

 

Off your meds again, huh?

 

*For the record, my kids have had their vaccinations, just spread out.

[wiegie]

NY Times

May 2, 2008

Measles in U.S. at Highest Level Since 2001

By DENISE GRADY

 

Measles outbreaks in at least seven states are expected to produce more cases in 2008 than in any other recent year, federal health officials said Thursday, warning that measles is highly contagious and can cause severe illness and even death.

 

Most of the cases have occurred in people who were never vaccinated.

 

There were 64 cases from January through April 25, more than in all of 2006 and the highest number during that four-month period since 2001. None have yet proved fatal, but officials said they expected the total to keep rising.

 

“We haven’t seen the end of this,” said Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

 

Fourteen patients, or 22 percent, have been hospitalized, mostly for pneumonia.

 

The largest outbreak, 22 cases, is under way in New York City, mainly in the Borough Park section of Brooklyn, where it was most likely introduced by travelers from other countries, including Israel and Belgium.

 

“There may be more cases,” said Dr. Jane R. Zucker, assistant commissioner for the Bureau of Immunization in the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Dr. Zucker said the New York outbreak was still being investigated.

 

As in New York, the other outbreaks are occurring because travelers bring the measles virus in from other countries — worldwide there are 20 million cases a year — and spread it to unvaccinated people. The unvaccinated include babies under a year old, who are too young to receive the vaccine, and children and young adults from families who refuse vaccination for personal or religious reasons.

 

The disease can then keep spreading. Dr. Schuchat said doctors were finding clusters with as many as five generations of transmission. She said many of today’s parents, doctors and nurses were unfamiliar with measles and not on the lookout for it.

 

In 17 cases, patients were infected in clinics and doctors’ offices, including a year-old baby who contracted the disease in a pediatrician’s office during a routine visit — for a measles shot.

 

Health officials are warning doctors and nurses to take special precautions to avoid spreading the disease in clinics. Children with fevers and rashes should not sit in waiting rooms, and other children should not be brought into an examining room that a child suspected of having measles has just left, because the virus can linger and remain infectious for about two hours.

 

In the current outbreak, 13 patients were under a year old and therefore too young to have been vaccinated, and 7 others were 12 to 15 months old, with parents who had not yet taken them for their first vaccination, which is due at 1 year. Sixteen others, who were older, came from families that refused vaccination. Fourteen more had what officials described as “unknown or undocumented vaccination status.” Only one person had proof of having received the standard two doses of measles vaccine.

 

In one family in Washington State, eight siblings came down with measles, and three of them had signs of pneumonia, a serious complication. These cases were reported after April 25 and so are in addition to the 64 described by the disease centers on Thursday.

 

The eight siblings are believed to have contracted measles at a religious conference attended by about 2,000 people from 5 countries and 19 states. None of the eight had been vaccinated. Forty-eight states allow exemptions from vaccine requirements for religious reasons, and 21 for personal beliefs, the C.D.C. said.

 

Growing numbers of parents in the United States and other countries have begun refusing to vaccinate their children because of unproven fears that vaccines cause autism or other illnesses. Health officials blame the trend for the resurgence of measles in many regions. Israel, Switzerland, Austria, Ireland and Britain have had large outbreaks recently, linked to pockets of people who shun vaccination.

 

Given the outbreaks overseas, travelers need to be immunized, Dr. Schuchat emphasized, acknowledging that many people do not think of Europe or Israel as places where they have to worry about catching infectious diseases. Babies who are going to be taken on trips can be given a measles shot at 6 months instead of 1 year, officials said.

 

People who have not been immunized and have been exposed to measles can often be protected with a vaccination or treatment with immune globulin, but the treatment must be given soon after the exposure. Health departments are supposed to track all the contacts of infected people and advise them about what to do, officials said.

 

Counting the Washington occurrence, 10 states have measles cases, though only seven have three or more, the disease centers’ definition of an outbreak. Besides New York City, the highest numbers are in Pima County in southern Arizona, with 15, and San Diego, with 11. The San Diego and Arizona cases have been traced to travelers from Switzerland. Cases in other states have come from Italy, India and probably China.

 

The remaining states with cases are Hawaii, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

 

“I think it’s important for states who aren’t on that list to have their alerts up,” Dr. Schuchat said. “We know there are unimmunized people out there, and measles is extremely infectious. Not being on the list shouldn’t be reassuring.”

 

Before 1963, when the vaccine became available in this country, there were three million to four million cases of measles annually. The disease killed 400 to 500 children a year and put 48,000 in the hospital.

 

The vaccine wiped out transmission here by 2000, but the disease can easily be imported because there are so many cases overseas. Worldwide, measles still kills 242,000 children a year.

 

A report on the outbreaks is online at cdc.gov.

[MikesVikes]

 

 

 

Causes

Autism has no single, identifiable cause. The disorder seems to be related to abnormalities in several regions of the brain. Researchers have identified a number of gene defects associated with autism.

 

Families with one autistic child have a one in 20 chance of having a second child with the disorder. In some cases, relatives of autistic children show mild impairments in social and communication skills or engage in repetitive behaviors.

 

Children with symptoms of autism have a higher than normal risk of also having:

 

Fragile X syndrome, which causes mental retardation

Tuberous sclerosis, in which tumors grow in the brain

Tourette's syndrome

Epilepsy

Some people believe autism is caused by vaccines — particularly the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine (MMR), as well as vaccines containing thimerosal, a preservative that contains a very small amount of mercury. But extensive studies have shown no link between vaccines and autism.