No link between Autism and Vaccines?

If you are a parent who goes back and forth on the autism/vaccine link, here's the latest word that is sure to be even more controversial.

From CNN:

The Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) vaccine causes neither autism nor gastrointestinal disorders, a study reported Wednesday, disputing a theory that has persisted for a decade. A researcher had theorized that the measles vaccine caused gastrointestinal problems that he linked to autism.

The theory was created in 1998, when British researcher Andrew Wakefield published studies that suggested the measles vaccine caused gastrointestinal problems and that those GI problems led to autism.

W. Ian Lipkin of Columbia University in New York, who co-authored the most recent study, said Wakefield theorized that the virus used in the vaccine grew in the intestinal tract, leading to inflammation that made the bowel porous. That allowed material to seep from the bowel into the blood, Wakefield's theory surmised, affecting the nervous system and causing autism.

In Wednesday's study, the researchers replicated key parts of Wakefield's original study to determine whether the vaccine causes autism and GI problems, said Mady Hornig, a study co-author. Irish pathologist John O'Leary, co-author of Wakefield's studies that supported the autism link, also is a co-author of the new study.

O'Leary and the other researchers looked for evidence of the measles vaccine in children's intestines after they had been vaccinated and sought to determine whether their GI problems and autism symptoms occurred before or after they were vaccinated.

They analyzed samples taken from 38 children with bowel disorders, 25 of whom also had autism. The investigators found only one child in each group had trace amounts of the measles virus in their samples. The samples were analyzed at Columbia and at a laboratory of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as at O'Leary's lab -- the same one Wakefield used for his original studies.

The conclusion: "no evidence" linked the vaccine to either autism or GI disorders, Lipkin said. They also said they found no relationship between the timing of the vaccine and children getting GI disorders or autism. "This really puts this issue to bed," said Andy Shih, vice president for scientific affairs of "Autism Speaks," an advocacy group.

Dr. William Schaffner, vaccine expert and chairman of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University, called the study results "conclusive."

Dr. Neal Halsey, a pediatrician at Johns Hopkins Children's Center who specializes in infectious diseases, told CNN, "They have shown the Wakefield study was incorrect." The new study shows "there's no temporal relationship between the vaccines and the gastrointestinal disorders and autism."

But the Autism Society of America cautioned that the cause of autism is complex and more research is needed to fully understand the role, if any, of the vaccine. Another autism advocacy group, the National Autism Association (NAA), said the study is flawed. "This new study does nothing to resolve the controversy whether MMR vaccine has contributed to the autism epidemic," said a press release from the group.

Wendy Fournier, an NAA spokeswoman, told CNN Thursday that the new study raises more questions than answers and should have looked at more children who developed autism and GI problems after they received the vaccine. Only 5 children in the Columbia study were vaccinated before they developed GI symptoms and autism.

According to the CDC, measles is a highly infectious disease that can result in severe, sometimes permanent, complications -- even death. Measles remains widespread in most countries, but widespread vaccination has limited its spread in the United States.

Some parents, familiar with the Wakefield theory's putative link between vaccine and autism, have chosen not to vaccinate their children. Last month, the CDC reported 131 cases of measles in the United States in the first seven months of the year, of which 112 were either among unvaccinated children or children whose vaccination status was unknown. Halsey hopes this new research will help convince new parents that (the MMR) vaccination is safe.

The study is published in the peer-reviewed online journal of the Public Library of Science

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Methodist Medical Center's new online healthcare program, MyMethodist eHealth, is a proud sponsor of this blog post. MyMethodist eHealth is the secure link to your doctor's office that lets you request appointments, order prescription refills, update your personal health record, and more. Sign up for MyMethodist eHealth here.

Federal Study on Chelation?

I was surprised to read this today from AP:

Government researchers are pushing to test an unproven treatment on autistic children, a move some see as unethical. The treatment is chelation. It removes metals from the body and is based on the fringe theory that the mercury preservative once used in childhood vaccines triggers autism. That theory has been rejected by mainstream science.

Dr. Thomas Insel is the head of the National Institute of Mental Health. He supports testing chelation on children provided the tests are safe. He's heard from many parents who
believe it works. For now, the study is on hold because of safety concerns.

Christina Blakey, a mother from Oak Park, uses chelation and a special diet with her 8-year-old son. She applauds the government study. She says chelation has helped her son's autism symptoms. (Christina is one of the people who invited me to the Autism One Conference this summer!)

Here's a doctor who thinks chelation is a bad idea.

Here is a doctor who believes in chelation for some kids.

What do you think about this? What does it mean for kids with autism?

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Methodist Medical Center's new online healthcare program, MyMethodist eHealth, is a proud sponsor of this blog post. MyMethodist eHealth is the secure link to your doctor's office that lets you request appointments, order prescription refills, update your personal health record, and more. Sign up for MyMethodist eHealth here.

Autism and Vaccinations

We have been following the controversy surrounding autism and vaccinations. The latest round of court proceedings lead to an interesting interview with the former Director of the National Institutes of Health. What she says is pretty shocking. This is the first time I have heard this from someone who has worked for one of the big health care groups.

I think anyone with kids should be keeping track of this controversy.

Here's the CBS interview with Dr. Bernadine Healy:

Eli Stone: Vaccines and Autism

This Associated Press article is bound to stir up some controversy:

A nationwide pediatricians' group wants ABC to cancel the first episode of a new television series, saying it perpetuates a myth that vaccines can cause autism.
The episode of the legal drama "Eli Stone" features a courtroom battle over a claim that a flu vaccine made a child autistic.
When it's revealed that an executive at the fictional vaccine maker didn't let his own child get the shot, the jury sides with the family.

The American Academy of Pediatrics claims the show is "the height of reckless irresponsibility on the part of ABC." It says the network will share the responsibility if parents who watch the show fail to get their children immunized because of it -- and deaths occur as a result.

The show's co-creators say they're not anti-vaccine and they would be "deeply upset" if parents chose not to immunize their children based on a fictional program.
"Eli Stone" premieres on Thursday.

We had a very heated discussion about this topic a few weeks ago on newsanchormom.com. Look for the title Autism and Vaccinations in the archives to get both sides of this controversial issue.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Autism and Vaccinations

Here we go again with the autism and vaccinations controversy. I know a lot of my friends go back and forth on this issue. It is so hard being a parent!

The latest Associated Press article says there's proof there is no link between autism and a preservative that used to be found in most childhood immunizations (thimerasol.) The A.P. says autism cases in California continue to climb. This, even after a vaccine preservative containing mercury --blamed by some for the neurological disorder-- was removed from routine childhood shots.

State health department researchers found the autism rate in children rose continuously from 1995 to 2007. The preservative hasn't been used in childhood vaccines since 2001, though it is used in some flu shots.

Doctors say the study adds to existing evidence against a link between exposure to the preservative (thimerosal) and the risk of autism. And they say the study should reassure parents that autism
isn't caused by vaccinations.

Results were published in January's issue of the journal Archives of General Psychiatry. The study did not explore why
there's been an increase in autism cases.

People who believe there is a link between vaccinations and autism point to those flu shots. They say there has been a big push for pregnant women to get flu shots in the last few years and babies as young as six months are now recommended to get it.

Personally, I don't want to be biased and say what I have decided to do with my family concerning the flu shot, but I will tell you about my experiences. My obstetrician recommended I get the flu shot when I was pregnant. My pediatrician's office recommended my baby get the shot at nine months old. However, my pediatrician pays extra to get the flu shot that does not contain thimerasol. When I asked her why, she said "to give the parents piece of mind."

I will email some people on both sides of this issue and encourage them to post their thoughts so you, as a parent, feel more informed. I know I can never hear enough opinions on this.

Yes, there is a link to autism

No, there is no link to autism
-NewsAnchorMom Jen