My occasional cautionary comments about vaccination are the source of frustration for some parents who find in them reminders that they felt coerced into vaccinating their children. I know many regret not taking a stronger stand, but I think it is made quite difficult for parents to buck systems that are well organized and quite powerful and designed to secure conformity with approved immunization schedules.
The problems caused by vaccination are many but one statistic I saw today quite shocked even me. It was the rate of autism in children in the U.S. It comes from the January/February issue of Mothering Magazine, which is dedicated to autism. The promo for this issue says:
With a US autism rate of 1 in 166 children, Mothering reports on hopeful treatments that work. Autism has been proclaimed an incurable disease. But many families have found hope and healing with a variety of methods, from vitamin supplementation to boosting the immune system.
Dr. Lewis Mehl-Madrona shares a concise round up of everything from vitamin and nutritional therapies to an alternative form of applied behavioral analysis in "Successful Treatments for Autism." "The Hope of Homeopathy" by Amy Lansky and "The Promise of Chelation" by Sarah Bridges explore in-depth two of the most popular treatments for autism.
Amy Lansky first heard about homeopathy in the pages of Mothering and she intuitively knew that the healing art could help her son Max. After a series of several remedies, the symptoms of Max’s autism entirely disappeared. Lansky was so astounded by her son’s transformation that she gave up her career as a computer scientist to become a homeopath herself. She went on to write about her experience in Impossible Cure, one of the top-selling books in the US on homeopathy.
Sarah Bridges shares additional compelling stories of recovery, these via chelation, a treatment that cleanses the body and brain of mercury and other heavy metals. Bridges discusses the elements of successful, responsible treatment, including vitamin supplementation, lab testing, and finding a good healthcare provider willing to perform the procedure. Most of the practitioners featured in Bridge’s article are affiliated with Defeat Autism Now! (DAN!), an initiative of the Austism Research Institute.
We hope these articles inspire and inform everyone, but especially those families courageously facing the challenge of autism. We dedicate this issue to them.
For more information and resources, read the January/February 2006 Mothering Magazine.
Mothering is a bimonthly magazine that reports on natural family living. Articles cover pregnancy, childbirth options, midwifery, breastfeeding, educational alternatives, and family health issues. Check out http://www.mothering.com
Their current issue is only available in print but on their website I found quite a good article by Peggy O’Mara in Issue 134 titled Vaccinations: Why All The Fuss? In it Peggy says:
Two other vaccines began to be questioned in the 1990s: measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) and hepatitis B. The MMR vaccine, added to the vaccine schedule in 1979, is a live vaccine and does not contain a preservative. Research reported in 1998 by British physician Andrew Wakefield, and since confirmed by others, showed the presence of a persistent measles infection in the guts of some autistic children who had never had measles. It has been theorized that combining measles and mumps viruses in a single vaccine may cause gastrointestinal problems that could lead to autism.
Source: http://www.mothering.com/guest_editors/quiet_place/quiet_place.html
One thing is certain, no one can trust the FDA or CDC to provide much, if any, protection from the dangers of vaccination. They are, right along with the vaccine manufacturers, the chief promoters of the practice. Read that autism rate again — 1 in 166 children. That is quite astonishing. What I want to know is, why are people putting up with this?
Researchers at Australia’s Newcastle University believe autism could eventually be treated through dietary changes. They are wanting to examine the role of vitamin B12 in autism.
Dr Michelle Adams says the study will focus on whether autistic children have different types of genes involved in the metabolism of the vitamin.
They hope to discover whether autistic children are unable to use certain forms of vitamin B12 and if they use certain forms of this vitamin B12, does it affect their neurological development.
If successful, the study could lead to using a dietary intervention to help either prevent the onset of autism of perhaps reduce the symptoms of autism.
At this time more volunteers are needed before the research can begin. If you are in the Newcastle region contact Dr Michelle Adams at the University.
Peter
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Dr Peter Tylee
Editor