Fornits
General Interest => Open Free for All => Topic started by: Anonymous on December 20, 2005, 09:45:00 PM
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Nationwide News
Oxygen Deprivation During
Birth May Contribute to Autism
HealthSCOUT - December 20, 2005
New research with rats suggests that oxygen deprivation during birth could be a contributing cause of autism.
There?s no easy way to test the oxygen-deprivation theory in humans, and the finding isn?t likely to lead to better treatments in the near future. Still, the research gives scientists greater insight into how factors other than genetics may play a role in autism, said Fabrizio Strata, a neuroscience researcher at the University of California, San Francisco and co-author of the study.
Symptoms of autism, the most common condition in a group of developmental disorders known as autism spectrum disorders, can range from mild to severe. The disability usually strikes by age 3. It lasts a lifetime, and there is no cure, although some people with autism can learn to function well.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, autism is characterized by three distinctive behaviors. Autistic children have difficulties with social interaction, display problems with verbal and nonverbal communication, and exhibit repetitive behaviors or narrow, obsessive interests. Scientists are not certain what causes autism, but it is likely that both genetics and environment play a role.
For reasons that aren?t clear, autism seems to have become more common in recent years. One hotly debated theory suggests that vaccines are responsible, although some studies have failed to find a link.
Oxygen deprivation during birth is considered one possible cause because it can lead to brain damage.
By boosting the level of nitrogen in the air, Strata and colleagues deprived rat pups of normal levels of oxygen for as long as 10 to 12 minutes during birth. When the rats grew older, they displayed symptoms similar to those found in autistic children. It took longer for the rats to respond to some sounds, for example, and the brain regions that handle sound were disrupted.
Why would a baby be oxygen-deprived in the first place? According to Strata, a complicated labor can cut off a newborn?s oxygen supply, as can a twisted umbilical cord.
Andy Shih, chief science officer with the National Alliance for Autism Research, said the oxygen-deprivation study presents an "interesting hypothesis," although the research hasn?t been confirmed in humans.
It?s possible that future research could lead to changes in obstetric practices to minimize the chance that babies will go without oxygen, Shih said. But "we?re far away from that at this point."
The study findings appear in the Dec. 19-24 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
More information
The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development can tell you more about autism.
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I hear Robert Kennedy talking about how he thinks it was the mercury in some childhood vaccinnations that helped cause the spike in autism cases in the mid 90's. Any truth to this?
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On 2005-12-21 10:17:00, Anonymous wrote:
"I hear Robert Kennedy talking about how he thinks it was the mercury in some childhood vaccinnations that helped cause the spike in autism cases in the mid 90's. Any truth to this?"
No. Because modern day vaccinations are significantly lower in mercury than the vaccinations 20+ years ago when autism was much less common. Besides, my nephew is autistic and he had the vaccinations which were mercury-free.
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Mercury's Safety Endorsed
by Doctors' Thumbs-Up
United Press International - February 10, 2006
As doctors and health authorities fight state bans on mercury in vaccines and keep giving it to kids and pregnant women, one fact stands out: their certainty.
The image of pediatricians and public officials as valiant defenders of mercury takes a bit of getting used to, given their longstanding efforts to keep the toxic element out of our food, our bodies and the environment.
No reasonable person -- let alone health professional -- would advocate keeping mercury in childhood vaccines unless they were absolutely certain it was an exception to this lethal legacy.
That?s especially so because vaccines can be made without the mercury preservative, called thimerosal. You can take it out and still protect the health of American children through vaccination, and if you had a shred of doubt about its safety, surely you would.
If you keep it in, you had better be right.
But what is the real degree of certainty that thimerosal is safe? Is it absolute? Beyond a reasonable doubt? A preponderance of the evidence -- the lesser standard that applies in civil cases but not when someone?s freedom (or life) is at stake?
Here?s the kind of thing that makes doctors -- most of whom have no more ability than you or I to investigate the safety of vaccines for themselves -- feel so certain. It?s a paper titled Vaccine Safety Controversies and the Future of Vaccination Programs, and it appears in the November 2005 issue of The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal.
The authors are from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which recommends the childhood immunization schedule; the United Nations World Health Organization, which oversees the vaccination of tens of millions of people worldwide every year, and several big universities. The report was supported by unrestricted grants from GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, Sanofi Pasteur MSD, several universities and other institutions.
Thimerosal has been used for (more than) 60 years in infant vaccines and in other applications and has not been associated with adverse health effects in the general population, except when persons have been exposed to amounts many orders of magnitude greater than found in vaccines or pharmaceuticals, the authors write.
That?s a ringing endorsement of safety (whether it?s supported by the data is an issue I?ll address in upcoming columns). But keep reading: It should also be borne in mind that the risks of thimerosal-containing vaccines to the fetus, premature infant and low-weight infant have insufficiently been studied.
Whoa. Insufficiently studied -- after more than 60 years of giving thimerosal to pregnant women and babies of every size and shape? Nonetheless, the CDC recommends flu shots for pregnant women and 6-to-23-months-olds and won?t recommend thimerosal-free versions. As a result, most flu shots still contain mercury.
Another new study is condescendingly titled, When science is not enough -- a risk/benefit profile of thimerosal-containing vaccines, by Australians C. John Clements and Peter B. McIntyre in the journal Expert Opinion on Drug Safety:
Thimerosal is safe as a vaccine preservative, and should continue to be used in settings where accessibility and cost require that multi-dose vials of vaccine are available.
Clements advises the WHO on vaccine policy; McIntyre is director of Australia?s National Center for Immunization Research and Surveillance of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases.
The overwhelming weight of scientific opinion rejects the hypothesis that neurodevelopmental abnormalities are causally related to the use of thimerosal in vaccines, they point out.
This is the kind of ammunition public health officials and the American Academy of Pediatrics are firing back at proponents of mercury bans --overwhelming evidence that thimerosal is safe. In Illinois, the state AAP vigorously opposed the ban.
Though well intended, these bills do not advance public health and could inadvertently diminish our state?s efforts at fighting influenza, the AAP said. Though it is a mercury-containing compound, thimerosal does not pass from the bloodstream into the brain to any significant degree.
The state legislators listened politely to that dubious assertion -- and voted to limit thimerosal in childhood vaccines anyway. But that was not the last word.
As reported by R. L. Nave in the Illinois Times last month: Citing cost concerns and a potential shortfall for the upcoming flu season, the Illinois Department of Public Health filed for a 12-month exemption to the Mercury-Free Vaccine Act, passed last summer to limit the use of vaccines containing mercury. However, child-health-care advocates who lobbied for the bill?s passage are upset by what they believe was a premeditated attempt by IDPH to circumvent state law.
This is what you call chutzpah -- public health authorities thwarting the express will of the people, certain that flu shots will save humanity and mercury never hurt anybody. Does the governor never fire anyone?
Almost lost in this crossfire is the simple fact that in 1999, these selfsame health authorities -- the CDC, the Public Health Service, the pediatricians, the family physicians -- urged drug companies to remove thimerosal from childhood immunizations in the United States as soon as possible.
Most childhood vaccines -- in the United States, not overseas -- are now thimerosal-free. But that?s hardly a blanket reassurance, because most flu shots do contain thimerosal.
Yet the CDC is still studying whether thimerosal causes autism.
We do agree the preponderance of evidence to date suggests there is no association between thimerosal and autism, CDC spokesman Glen Nowak told us last month. But he said CDC Director Dr. Julie Gerberding is committed to exploring all possibilities until the cause or causes of the disorder are identified.
Dr. Gerberding has made it clear the CDC has not ruled out anything as possible causes of autism, including thimerosal, Nowak said. Science is a dynamic process. We have continued to fund studies to look at the role, if any, of thimerosal.
Given these caveats, what would you do? Well, there are two maxims of medicine that might apply. First, do no harm, is the obvious one.
The second, related concept is the precautionary principle which, according to wikipedia.org, is the idea that if the consequences of an action are unknown, but are judged to have some potential for major or irreversible negative consequences, then it is better to avoid that action.
So: Vaccines don?t need mercury. Even government experts acknowledge some possible risks -- to the fetus, for example -- are insufficiently studied 60 years on. A link to autism has not been ruled out. They?re continuing to investigate, as they should.
But the doctors and their public and private allies are battling state by state to stop mercury bans, and the CDC won?t recommend a thimerosal-free flu shot for kids and pregnant woman. There?s a phrase for this approach:
Bombs away.
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So why the sudden rise in Autistic cases?
Or are they just able to diagnose more due to better dianostic tools/etc?
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On 2006-02-10 14:01:00, Anonymous wrote:
"So why the sudden rise in Autistic cases?
Or are they just able to diagnose more due to better dianostic tools/etc? "
Nobody knows. There are plenty of theories, though.
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Mercury is a problem in our water, air, fish we eat, dental fillings....to name a few. I think it's probably a cumulitive effect.
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?to ... 120#122602 (http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?topic=10271&forum=9&start=120#122602)
Google David Kirby for more info
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=& ... 2B+mercury (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=%22David+Kirby%22+%2B+mercury)
And mercury toxicity in general. I think there may be many people diagnosed with 'mental illnesses', kids sent to programs, etc who could have toxic levels of mercury.
I still have a few mercury fillings, have changed them as needed, so I do a homeopathic mercury de-tox annually.
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I was diagnosed as having "aspergers syndrome"
Ask Helena Handbasket... Im not. :wink: Im everything but autistic.
I really think its a function of society and a lack of socialization. When I came out of my shell (and publik school) and started hanging out with people and doing things, I MAGICALLY found my groove and social skills. Zippa dee doo dah?
But, I degress, Im sure there are plenty of 'clasically' autistic children born to perfectly social parents who have a real disease, plus I dont know all the facts about oxygen deprevation or mercury influences.
Just tossing out an idear for everyone to think about is all.When an innocent Californian millionaire gets killed by a drug squad
trying to seize his house with a bogus search warrant, people better ask themselves if they really want to turn their cops into money-makers.
--Vancouver Police Const. Gil Puder
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One thing that tipped researcher to mercury was the late onset. Kids were fine until they received their 3rd or 4th round of immunizations and suddenly they were dx autistic. Perfectly fine one week, the next, autistic. It presents in many ways, but I agree that the social skills aspect is very important. I tend to see the classicly autistic child as 'afraid to come out and play'. With enough attention and building of trust, they can emerge. Son Rise by Barry Kaufman is a hopeful, and true, story of how two parents helped their son come out. Required reading in some college psych courses. Professionals all over the country told them to give up, there was no hope. They refused. Their level of comittment was very touching.
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Wrong Intelligence Testing Being
Used on Individuals wtih Autism
China Daily; North American ed.
February 22, 2006
ST. LOUIS -- People with autism are more intelligent and able to function better than previously believed, but mistrust of doctors, biased tests and the Internet have bred myths about the condition, experts said on Sunday.
At a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, researchers presented reports showing that even autistic people who do not speak can have above-average intelligence.
They also offered additional studies disputing claims that vaccines can cause autism.
"The current figures are that 75 percent of autistic people are mentally retarded, with the mute the most ... impaired," said Dr. Laurent Mottron, an autism researcher at Montreal?s Hopital Riviere des Prairies.
But Mottron believes the wrong intelligence tests are used to assess autistic children. Many are tested using the Wechsler scale, a common IQ test that includes questions about words and concepts learned in school.
The Raven?s Progressive Matrices test measures abstract reasoning and consistently gives autistic children higher scores, Mottron said.
The average boost in score is 30 points, Mottron said, enough to put someone previously considered mentally retarded into the normal range and the average to gifted status.
Mottron was so impressed by the abilities of one autistic student, Michelle Dawson, that he made her a co-author of some of his papers.
Autism is a term used to describe a broad range of symptoms, from an inability to use language normally, to exhibiting deeply disturbed and repetitive behaviours. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it affects anywhere between one in 500 and one in 166 children.
Morton Gernsbacher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison questioned a common idea among autism researchers that autistic people lack a "theory of mind," which, among other things, gives an ability to empathize with others.
Again, she said, the wrong tests are used to assess this ability.
Dr. Judith Grether, a California epidemiologist, said she questions the idea that there is a new autism epidemic. She said it is impossible to find out how many cases of autism there were in the past, because many people with autism were often diagnosed as retarded, or never diagnosed.
Without that information, it is impossible to say if the number of cases has grown, she said.
"We have to do the studies to find the answers," she said.
Grether said researchers in California have begun taking prenatal blood samples from pregnant women and will look for clues when and if some of their children are diagnosed with autism. They are examining hormones, heavy metals, immune system proteins and other factors.
The studies found no link with vaccines, said Dr. Irving Gottesman, a psychiatrist at the University of Minnesota, but said the CDC has initiated four new studies "to tie up the loose ends."
New studies are focusing on genetic susceptibilities.
Gottesman said the studies may help ease the fears of parents that a vaccine-autism link has been covered up.
But he said scientists are battling a plethora of Internet websites devoted to the idea that mercury causes autism such as http://www.safeminds.org/ (http://www.safeminds.org/).
Gernsbacher, the mother of a child with autism, said some parents may join these lobbying groups over the advice of doctors because they get "pat answers" to initial concerns about their children.
"The mistrust (of government-funded studies and of their pediatricians) may have arisen from those kind of experiences," she said.
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There is also Fluoride which has been thrown on the table a few times as a possible cause. Introduced into our water system 50+ years ago and since has developed into the most important way to insure the development of healthy teeth. Pediatricians are prescribing tablets/supplements to newborns along with their other daily vitamins. The use has further increased with the recent surge of health food conscience adults who embrace homeopathic remedies / natural foods.
Hypothyroid condition in the mother and at birth, for the baby, was thought to also contribute to autism Spectrum And PDD (Pervasive Development Disorders) and still may but I believe this is screened for in Newborn Screening test and easily treated through medication, since the early 1980?s. This is still an issue with children born in countries which do not have newborn screening in place.
My personal hope (short term) is that until the cause can be identified, all Autistic Children can be helped through Early intervention and through the application of ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) which, to date, is the most effective approach to improving the lives of children with Autism. I personally feel, based on the visibility Autism is receiving from the medical field and the media along with the amount of data that is being collected a solution isn?t far off.
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There was a story on the news this morning
about an autism teenager who scored 20 points
in a high school basketball game.
It is a very uplifting story, on this usual
negitive issue.
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On 2006-02-23 10:02:00, Anonymous wrote:
"There was a story on the news this morning
about an autism teenager who scored 20 points
in a high school basketball game.
It is a very uplifting story, on this usual
negitive issue."
That?s very nice to hear, there was a time when autistic children were taught in separate buildings and have now been integrated with all the other children, but sports has always been a special challenge with many of these children as autism typically can affect fine and gross motor skills. A story like that is inspiring to the rest of us as we take on our own obstacles, they don?t seem so daunting in comparison.
Thanks
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I don't want to even think about how many Asperger's kids have ended up in RTCs and various other programs and what's happened to them in there. :cry:
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On 2006-02-23 10:38:00, Anonymous wrote:
"I don't want to even think about how many Asperger's kids have ended up in RTCs and various other programs and what's happened to them in there. :cry: "
Yes it is sad, but the good news is with all the awareness that Autism is receiving and the training that emerging pediatricians are getting, the number of children going undiagnosed is shrinking quickly. Aspergers is unique in that the children are very high functioning and parents tend to dismiss some possible other behavior signs because they may seem so advanced in other areas. So more time may expire before a diagnosis which makes treatment more difficult and as you had mentioned may end up in an RTC. This is why I feel more regulations as well as standardized screening should be mandatory before any children are admitted to these facilities.
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On 2006-02-23 11:13:00, TheWho wrote:
"This is why I feel more regulations as well as standardized screening should be mandatory before any children are admitted to these facilities."
I agree, but as you can see from the volitivity
on the subject of screenings, it will never happen.
Many will go undiagnosed because of this social myopia.
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I agree, but as you can see from the volitivity
on the subject of screenings, it will never happen.
Many will go undiagnosed because of this social myopia.
I think it can be overcome if people want it to by Pushing for regulations which require all applicants to be screened for predetermined disorders.
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http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/02/ ... 9324.shtml (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/02/23/earlyshow/printable1339324.shtml)
Autistic Teen's Hoop Dreams Come True
ROCHESTER, N.Y., Feb. 23, 2006(CBS) It was the stuff of Hollywood, but it was real.
Senior Jason McElwain had been the manager of the varsity basketball team of Greece Athena High School in Rochester, N.Y.
McElwain, who's autistic, was added to the roster by coach Jim Johnson so he could be given a jersey and get to sit on the bench in the team's last game of the year.
Johnson hoped the situation would even enable him to get McElwain onto the floor a little playing time.
He got the chance, with Greece Athena up by double-digits with four minutes go to.
And, in his first action of the year, McElwain missed his first two shots, but then sank six three-pointers and another shot (video), for a total of 20 points in three minutes.
"My first shot was an air ball (missing the hoop), by a lot, then I missed a lay-up," McElwain recalls. "As the first shot went in, and then the second shot, as soon as that went in, I just started to catch fire."
"I've had a lot of thrills in coaching," Johnson says. "I've coached a lot of wonderful kids. But I've never experienced such a thrill."
The crowd went wild, and his teammates carried the excited McElwain off the court.
"I felt like a celebrity!" he beamed.
McElwain's mother sees it as a milestone for her son.
"This is the first moment Jason has ever succeeded (and could be) proud of himself," reflects Debbie McElwain. "I look at autism as the Berlin Wall, and he cracked it."
His teammates couldn't be happier.
"He's a cool kid," says guard Levar Goff. "You just get to know him, get used to being around
him. A couple of weeks ago, he missed practice because he was sick. You feel different when he's not around. He brings humor and life to the team."
Jason's next goal: to graduate.
©MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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On 2006-02-23 12:16:00, TheWho wrote:
"I agree, but as you can see from the volitivity
on the subject of screenings, it will never happen.
Many will go undiagnosed because of this social myopia.
I think it can be overcome if people want it to by Pushing for regulations which require all applicants to be screened for predetermined disorders."
Perhaps if it is voluntary.
People are afraid of voluntary programs too, though, as there may be increased scrutiny if a family refuses to allow a screening for their child.
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Yea, I see your point. Not sure how it can be prevented, have to think on that.
Great article !! pulled it to my desktop.....
Thanks.
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If I can remember which channel I saw it
on, I will try to see if they have the
link to the story online!
The crowd went crazy ... he is very popular.
Wonderful to see.
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On 2006-02-23 16:47:00, Anonymous wrote:
"If I can remember which channel I saw it
on, I will try to see if they have the
link to the story online!
The crowd went crazy ... he is very popular.
Wonderful to see."
Yes definitely, I would like to see the clip if they archived it!
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I just caught it on Fox news at 10:00, they had it as one of their top news items. What a great Feel Good story
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http://www.happynews.com/news/2232006/a ... -floor.htm (http://www.happynews.com/news/2232006/autistic-team-manager-show-skills-on-floor.htm)
Photo and good write up.
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http://www.youtube.com/w/Autistic-baske ... =1&t=t&f=b (http://www.youtube.com/w/Autistic-basketball-player-causes-mayhem-at-game?v=UBYPaNc57Ik&feature=Views&page=1&t=t&f=b)
heres a vedio of the game
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On 2006-02-27 10:36:00, BuzzKill wrote:
"http://www.youtube.com/w/Autistic-basketball-player-causes-mayhem-at-game?v=UBYPaNc57Ik&feature=Views&page=1&t=t&f=b
heres a vedio of the game"
I didnt realize that he never suited up for a game before that night. Jason was Assistant manager/distributed water etc. very well liked by his peers. We need more Feelgood stories like this!!!
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Autism, mercury, and politics
By Robert Kennedy Jr. | July 1, 2005
MOUNTING EVIDENCE suggests that Thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative in children's vaccines, may be responsible for the exponential growth of autism, attention deficit disorder, speech delays, and other childhood neurological disorders now epidemic in the United States.
Prior to 1989, American infants generally received three vaccinations (polio, measles-mumps-rubella, and diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis). In the early 1990s, public health officials dramatically increased the number of Thimerosal-containing vaccinations without considering the cumulative impact of the mercury load on developing brains.
In a 1991 memo, Dr. Maurice Hilleman, one of the fathers of Merck's vaccination programs, warned his bosses that 6-month-old children administered the shots on schedule would suffer mercury exposures 87 times the government safety standards. He recommended that Thimerosal be discontinued and complained that the US Food and Drug Administration, which has a notoriously close relationship with the pharmaceutical industry, could not be counted on to take appropriate action as its European counterparts had. Merck ignored Hilleman's warning, and for eight years government officials added seven more shots for children containing Thimerosal.
Mercury is a known brain poison, and autism rates began rising dramatically in children who were administered the new vaccine regimens. A decade ago the American Academy of Pediatrics estimated the autism rate among American children to be 1 in 2,500. Today, the CDC places the rate at 1 in 166, or 1 in 80 boys. Additionally, one in six children is now diagnosed with a related neurological disorder.
In 2000, the CDC met with pharmaceutical companies and the FDA in secret to review its findings linking Thimerosal with the dramatic rise in neurological illnesses. According to transcripts, participants were alarmed about the undeniable links between the Thimerosal and widespread brain damage in children. Dr. Bill Weil told the group, ''You can play with [the results] all you want. They are statistically significant." Dr. Richard Johnston admitted he feared his grandchild getting a Thimerosal-containing vaccine. But the group was most concerned with keeping the findings secret. ''Consider this embargoed information," said Dr. Roger Bernier, a senior director at the National Immunization Program, at the meeting's close. The CDC now says it has ''lost" the data that supported the crucial study and has persistently defied congressional requests and federal law requiring it to open up the federal Vaccine Safety Database to scientists and the public.
Numerous animal, DNA, epidemiological, and other studies point to Thimerosal as a culprit in America's epidemic of neurological disorders. Autistic children have been shown to have higher mercury loads than nonautistics, and there have been reports of significant improvements in some brain-injured children by removing mercury from their brains. Most of the symptoms of autism are similar to the symptoms of mercury poisoning. Scientists have been able to induce autism-like symptoms in mice by exposing them to Thimerosal. A recent study by an FDA scientist, Dr. Jill James, found that many autistic children are genetically deficient in their capacity to produce glutathione, an antioxidant generated in the brain that helps remove mercury from the body.
Government health agencies who green-lighted Thimerosal have turned a blind eye to the hundreds of studies linking Thimerosal to a wide range of neurological disorders and joined the pharmaceutical industry to gin up a series of flawed European studies to exonerate Thimerosal. Those studies examined children exposed to a tiny fraction of the Thimerosal given to American kids and took advantage of the autism spike that resulted from deceptive data-gathering in Scandinavia to argue that autism rates are unrelated to Thimerosal use.
Drug makers wary of liability reduced Thimerosal in most children's vaccines in recent years, but the preservative remains in flu shots, tetanus boosters, and over-the-counter drugs. Mercury-laced vaccine stocks were given to American children until the end of 2003.
Government officials who continue to champion Thimerosal should recognize that this is not just a theoretical exercise in bureaucratic face-saving. Their wrong-headed defense of Thimerosal safety in the face of overwhelming science is discouraging testing of promising treatments which may be effective. They are depriving vulnerable populations from being identified to avoid Thimerosal. They also cannot escape responsibility for their failure to warn international health agencies and governments who, based upon American assurances, are now injecting the developing world's children with this brain-killing chemical.
Robert Kennedy Jr. is senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council.
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Autistic boys lack certain brain cells: study
Tue Jul 18, 5:03 PM ET
Men and boys with autism have fewer neurons in the amygdala, a part of the brain involved in emotion and memory, U.S. researchers reported on Tuesday.
The team at the University of California, Davis, looked at the brains of nine autistic men and boys, aged 10 to 44, and compared them to 10 brains of males who did not have autism.
They counted the number of neurons to see whether the brain cells were smaller or fewer in number.
Writing in the Journal of Neuroscience, David Amaral, research director of the UC Davis Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders Institute, and former graduate student Cynthia Mills Schumann said they found significantly fewer neurons in the brains of the people with autism.
"One possibility is that there are always fewer neurons in the amygdala of people with autism. Another possibility is that a degenerative process occurs later in life and leads to neuron loss. More studies are needed to refine our findings," Schumann said in a statement.
In May, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that up to one in every 175 U.S. children has autism, a disease that can cause symptoms ranging from social isolation to repetitive and damaging behaviors and sometimes mental retardation.
"While we have known that autism is a developmental brain disorder, where, how and when the autistic brain develops abnormally has been a mystery," Dr. Thomas Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health, which funded the study, said in a statement.
"This new finding is important because it demonstrates that the structure of the amygdala is abnormal in autism. Along with other findings on the abnormal function of the amygdala, research is beginning to narrow the search for the brain basis of autism."
Neurologists believe the amygdala is important in autism because it generates appropriate emotional responses and helps the brain process memories that are key to social learning.
"We're in the very early stages of understanding autism and its neurological pathologies. It's clearly a process with many steps, and at least we are now one step further," Amaral said.
Copyright © 2006 Reuters Limited
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Autism -- Treated Effectively, Using Holistic Methods of Treatment
by Dr. Randy Martin
Autism is a problem affecting more and more young people. The theories
surrounding it's cause are many. Another, much lesser version of autism is
called Asperger's Disease. A young adult might be functioning pretty well
with Asperger's, yet have social phobias or an inability to succeed at work
or school. ADD or ADHD also may play a role.
The following article was sent to me by the company I often use to perform the hair mineral analysis tests for my patients. It's a particularly
interesting case, given the difficulty we normally think of in treating
autism.
This case history shows how hair analysis is successful at diagnosing and
suggesting treatments for autism. Along with this, I would also always use
amino acid therapy, after performing a saliva and urine test to see the
deficiencies in the neurotransmitters in the brain.
Additionally, homeopathic medicine has proven successful time and time again at treating a wide variety of behavioral problems, including Autism.
I hope you enjoy this case history from the Analytical Research
Laboratories:
Autism - A Case History
Joey, age 3, was diagnosed autistic. He did not speak or interact well
with anyone, threw tantrums daily and was severely constipated. His first
hair mineral analysis showed a calcium level of 66 mg% (ideal is 40),
magnesium of 5 mg% (ideal is 6), sodium of 4 mg% (ideal is 25) and potassium of 16 mg% (ideal is 10.
Vital Ratios
The hair calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium levels indicate a
mild slow oxidizer pattern. This is a tendency for somewhat underactive
thyroid and adrenal glandular activity. This is uncommon for a
three-year-old as most children of this age are fast oxidizers. It indicates
some degree of adrenal exhaustion, even at the age of three.
Joey¹s calcium/magnesium ratio was slightly high, which is an
indication that Joey was overeating on carbohydrate foods. The
sodium/ potassium ratio was very low at 0.4:1. This indicates excessive
tissue breakdown and is also associated with chronic infections, glucose
intolerance, kidney and liver stress, and feelings of frustration,
resentment and hostility.
Manganese
Joey had a severely elevated manganese level at 0.123 mg% (ideal is
0.04). High manganese levels are often associated with behavioral problems. ?Manganese madness¹ is a term used to describe the toxicity condition seen in manganese miners.
Aluminum
Joey¹s aluminum was also quite high at 3.66 mg% (ideal is 0.05 or
less). Aluminum has been implicated in Alzheimer¹s disease and perhaps other dementias. However, we find that aluminum can affect mental functioning even in children.
In our experience, aluminum, iron and manganese toxicity are often
found together. If any one of these are elevated on a hair mineral analysis, the other two are also present in excess, even if they are hidden. These three minerals are also often eliminated together on nutritional balancing programs.
Lead And Zinc
Joey also had an extremely elevated lead level at 1.54 mg% (ideal is
0.1 or less). Lead toxicity is associated with over 100 symptoms. Prominent among these are hyperactivity, lowered IQ and emotional and behavioral abnormalities. Lead interferes with calcium metabolism, blood formation and a number of critical enzyme systems.
Joey also had a zinc level of 8 mg%. This is very low, with the ideal being 20 mg%. Zinc is critical for over 50 functions. Low zinc is associated with emotional instability, delayed development, slow growth, impaired
digestion, skin problems and impaired protein synthesis.
A Corrective Program
The daily nutrient program for Joey included two divided doses of a
multivitamin for slow oxidizers, as well as 10 mg of zinc, 1 mg of copper
and about 3 mg manganese to help correct his low sodium/potassium ratio.
Let us discuss giving manganese when the level is this high. Some
authorities believe that manganese supplements should not be given when
manganese is elevated on a hair mineral analysis. However, we consistently find that giving bioavailable manganese will help the hair manganese level return to normal, as occurred with Joey. His elevated manganese is in a biounavailable form. Giving available manganese is helpful in these cases to raise the sodium level and perhaps to provide needed bioavailable manganese as well.
Joey¹s daily nutrients also included about 200 mg of calcium and 200 mg
magnesium. Calcium is an excellent lead antagonist, and both calcium and
magnesium are sedative minerals that can improve hyperactive behavior.
Magnesium is helpful for many cases of constipation. Joey also took a small amount of vitamin C and E to help raise his sodium level. Vitamin C can help as a chelator of excessive metals.
Dosing Children
These dosages of minerals may seem large for a three-year-old child.
However, we find that often children do well on and sometimes require
somewhat larger doses than one would calculate for a child based simply on weight or age. This is an important principle for obtaining the best results with young children.
Results
Joey¹s parents made sure he ate well and took his supplements. He
improved dramatically. Within four months on a nutritional balancing program he began to speak, his temper tantrums were greatly reduced and he now interacts with people. He will be able to attend a regular kindergarten and is also no longer constipated.
Often the process of correction takes longer, up to several years, and it is often less dramatic. In this case, the chemistry shifted quickly and results followed. We never know which mineral imbalance or other factor is most important and when the body will address that factor. Also in some cases emotional difficulties at home can significantly slow down progress in
rebalancing body chemistry.
Retest Mineral Analysis
A retest mineral analysis after Joey was on supplements for four months
showed some surprising changes. The electrolyte pattern looked worse in some ways! Calcium was 56 mg%, magnesium was 31 mg%, sodium was 16 mg% and potassium rose to 59 mg%.
Joey became a mixed oxidizer with a fast thyroid ratio (calcium to
potassium ratio less than 4:1). A faster oxidation rate means Joey¹s energy level improved. This is excellent for general healing. In hyperkinetic children, however, more energy at times means more acting out behavior because more energy is available to the body. This was not the case with Joey, however, as his behavior calmed down.
The calcium/magnesium ratio became extremely low at 1.8:1. This is often due to a magnesium loss. It could have been an elimination of
magnesium that for some reason could not be used by the body. This type of change looks worse, but usually resolves itself on later tests.
The Sodium/potassium Ratio
Joey¹s sodium/potassium ratio also became much more imbalanced at about 0.27:1. This is extremely low and usually indicates severe protein breakdown or catabolism. Joey showed a pattern we call a double inversion. This is a low ratio of calcium to magnesium combined with a low ratio of sodium to potassium. The double inversion pattern reinforces the low sodium/potassium ratio pattern, associated with excessive tissue breakdown, chronic infections, liver and kidney stress, glucose intolerance and feelings of frustration, resentment and hostility.
In this regard, we have found that on a corrective program, at times the body must go through a stage of breaking down poor quality tissue. This
is tissue that may contain toxic metals or toxic chemicals, or tissues infected with bacteria or viruses.
When cells are broken down, potassium and magnesium are released, as these are the primary intracellular minerals. This release is associated with temporary higher hair readings of these two minerals. This in turn can cause a lower sodium/potassium ratio and a lower calcium/magnesium ratio as well.
Other Changes
On the retest, Joey¹s lead level was about half of the level on the first test at .84 mg% and aluminum was about 1/3 of his previous test at 1.10 mg%. Manganese was down to 0.078, which is still slightly elevated but
much better. These are all excellent changes.
The Zinc Mystery
Joey¹s zinc level did not change from the first test to the second. In both cases, the reading was a very low 8 mg%. This occurred in spite of Joey
taking a substantial amount of zinc for four months. How can this be?
There are several explanations. First, we know that our bodies will often keep the tissue zinc level low to help raise the tissue sodium level. In Joey¹s case, the sodium/potassium ratio was extremely low. The body may not have absorbed the zinc he took to keep the sodium level up, which in turn helps maintain the sodium/potassium ratio. Dr. Eck called this phenomenon a defender. That is, zinc stayed low to defend the
sodium/potassium ratio.
Another possibility is that zinc was simply not well-absorbed during this period of time for other reasons. Alternatively, zinc was absorbed, but
used up as fast as it was being given.
Finally, we know that zinc is a vital mineral that replaces toxic metals in enzyme binding sites during healing. The zinc level in the hair may have remained low because the zinc Joey took was absorbed and incorporated into the tissues to replace toxic metals that were eliminated. Thus, no extra zinc found its way into Joey¹s hair.
By persisting in providing Joey with supplemental zinc in the correct amount, eventually the hair level will rise in our experience. This will
mean he is re-establishing his normal tissue stores of zinc.
Does Mercury Cause Autism?
Some health authorities claim that mercury toxicity is the cause of autism. Joey¹s mercury level was a very low 0.002 mg% on the first test. It
increased five times to 0.01 on the second test. This is still very low
reading.
We know that many toxic metals are not revealed on the first hair
mineral analysis. They are revealed later as they are mobilized from storage sites deep within the body. Time will tell if Joey will start to eliminate more mercury on future retests.
However, it is clear that other toxic minerals such as lead and aluminum, or vital minerals in excess including manganese, probably played
important roles in his behavioral problems. Deficiencies in vital minerals
such as zinc also most likely contributed to Joey¹s symptoms. In our experience, it is usually incorrect to blame symptoms on just one metal, as most people have combinations of imbalances.
Conclusion
This case illustrates so many principles that it bears reading a number of times. Perhaps most important, it suggests that autism is not simply an
incurable or ?genetic¹ conditions requiring years of therapy to control the
symptoms. A hair mineral analysis showed severe mineral imbalances. By
following the principles of test interpretation and program design based on
the brilliant work of Dr. Paul C. Eck, results were most gratifying.
Although in some ways the retest hair analysis looked worse, another
principle is always to ask the patient (or parents in this instance) about
symptomatic improvements. In this case, these changes were amazing,
reminding us that mineral analysis results may not always correlate with
symptoms. Each test uncovers deeper layers of imbalances, and at times the picture may not correlate with how the patient feels. The test results can lag symptomatic changes, or at times test results can anticipate symptom changes as well.
Copyright © 2006 Analytical Research Laboratories, Inc.
This material is for educational purposes only
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