Jenny McCarthy has joined the chorus of mothers wondering if there is a link between autism and common childhood vaccines (“Raising Joshua,” November 15).
In an appearance on Oprah this week, the actress, known more for her boobs than her parenting skills, talked about how her son Evan changed after getting vaccinated. “Right before his MMR shot, I said to the doctor, ‘I have a very bad feeling about this shot. This is the autism shot, isn’t it?’” she says. “And he said, ‘No, that is ridiculous. It is a mother’s desperate attempt to blame something,’ and he swore at me, and then the nurse gave [Evan] the shot. And I remember going, ‘Oh, God, I hope he’s right.’ And soon thereafter—boom—the soul’s gone from his eyes.”
Like many parents who’ve tried unconventional methods in response to autism, McCarthy says changing Evan’s diet improved his language skills and his ability to show affection. She also used videos to teach him how to play.
While acknowledging that these methods won’t work for everyone, McCarthy has become a spokeswoman for Talk About Curing Autism, an organization that considers the disorder to be treatable. — Lisa Rab
This article appears in Sep 19-25, 2007.
Thank you for writing about Jenny McCarthy and her fight to recover her son. With so many children diagnosed with this disorder, it is important to get the word out that there is hope.
Let’s not just put a pretty face on Autism.Smile and laughs for the camera.I also have a son with Autism.And Im not laughing.How much can (we)America(ns) take.We have doctors knowingly givings our children poison.But won’t say anything because BIG drug companies are lining their pockets with money.We got the Chinesse toy companies.Putting lead in toys.And if you take closier look at China.Their kids dont play with the toys.That they make.What’s is this “the war on our kids”?How can I protect my children and their childrens,childrens.When your just smiling for the camera.It’s much more serious than that.Better yet put me on tv,on Oprah.So America see and feel the severity in this matter.
It is wonderful to have Jenny to out there educating folks about autism. Especially that it is treatable and parents should have HOPE. Thank God for Jenny McCarthy! She is smart and outspoken. We need her more than EVER!
Try the methods Jenny used to help her son. My daughter has been doing the same things for a year (Luke was 1 1/2 years when he started) and he is much improved. Just Google the GFCF diet and DAN doctors. Nothing she is doing can hurt him! Good luck!
I am offended by one thing: she talks about autism “stealing the soul.” Everyone has a God-given soul. My son’s autism did not “steal his soul.” It’s made life almost a hell sometimes, but my son is not a hollow shell with no soul (my ex-husband, on the other hand…).
I teach Autistic children and I have been teaching them for 13 years now. I know this is a very tough thing to have to face. I work with the children every day. I love it though. I love to help them any way I can. Good luck to all of you.
We all want good diets for our children and ourselves. But the promise of hope should not prevail over the findings of science.
While there is no definitive proof for any autism treatment, there are treatments with more scientifically proven strengths–and the wheat- and dairy-free diet is not one of them.
Indeed, there is anecdotal evidence from respected authorities that “the diet” works, but parents raising children on the spectrum should not try them at the expense of treatments that have been shown to work better.
Jayne Lytel
Executive Director
The Early Intervention Network: Enabling Families to Act Early Against Autism
http://www.actearly.org
“Promise of hope should not prevail over the findings of science.”
Jayne – with all due respect the Am. Academy of Pediatrics has not changed the Standards of Care for Autism since May 2001.
NIH spends less than $40 per affected individual with autism. Other prominent diseases and disorders receive between $1000 to $2000 of funding per affected individual.
If science is not happening should parents sit and wait? Changing the diet of children to eat healthy and avoid some ingredients is not harmful. In fact an allergy blood test can help you figure out if you should do this – that is a standards of care for all children.
What I hope Jenny has done is drive peopel to do the research. And until then parents are on their own to find the answers. Perhaps we will lead science to them. It has been done before.
God bless parents. GO!
Jayne, do you have access to a medical library? Here are some research papers published in respected peer-reviewed journals that you might want to read before you make such unfounded statements regarding dietary interventions.
Neuropsychobiology 2002;46(2):76-84
Innate Immunity Associated with Inflammatory Responses and Cytokine
Production against Common Dietary Proteins in Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
The Journal of Pediatrics
Volume 146, Issue 5 , May 2005, Pages 605-610
Evaluation of an association between gastrointestinal symptoms and cytokine production against common dietary proteins in children with autism spectrum disorders
Harumi Jyonouchi MD, Lee Geng PhD, Agnes Ruby BS, Chitra Reddy MD and Barbie Zimmerman-Bier MD
From the Department of Pediatrics, New Jersey Medical School, UMDNJ, Newark, New Jersey
Gastrointestinal complaints and diagnosis in children: a population-based study. Acta Paediatr. 2004 Jul;93(7):880-6.
Kokkonen J, Haapalahti M, Tikkanen S, Karttunen R, Savilahti E.
Department of Paediatrics, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland.
Food elimination based on IgG antibodies in irritable bowel syndrome: a randomised controlled trial. Gut. 2004 Oct;53(10):1459-64.
Atkinson W, Sheldon TA, Shaath N, Whorwell PJ.
Intestinal lymphocyte populations in children with regressive autism: evidence for extensive mucosal immunopathology. J Clin Immunol. 2003 Nov;23(6):504-17.
Ashwood P, Anthony A, Pellicer AA, Torrente F, Walker-Smith JA, Wakefield AJ.
White JF.: Intestinal pathophysiology in autism. Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2003 Jun;228(6):639-49.
Latcham F, Merino F, Lang A, Garvey J, Thomson MA, Walker-Smith JA, Davies SE, Phillips AD, Murch SH: A consistent pattern of minor immunodeficiency and subtle enteropathy in children with multiple food allergy. J Pediatr. 2003 Jul;143(1):39-47.
Centre for Paediatric Gastroenterology and Department of Dietetics and Histopathology, Royal Free and University College School of Medicine, London, United Kingdom.
Molloy CA, Manning-Courtney P.: Prevalence of chronic gastrointestinal symptoms in children with autism and autistic spectrum disorders. Autism. 2003 Jun;7(2):165-71.
If you would like, i can go on. I have over 50 more articles here.
Just because Jenny is beautiful, funny, and talented does not mean she is putting a “pretty face” on autism. Autism is an ugly disorder that many refer to as stealing our children away, because most of them develop normally, and then regress into the world of autism, which essentially seems like they are being stolen from us. Jenny is not discrediting the “proven” therapies such as ABA, speech, ot, pt….. she is advocating that those therapies in conjuction with healing these children physically through the diet and other biomed approaches is what can help pull these children out of that autism world that they regressed into. Jenny is doing an awesome job advocating for these children that they are physically sick, and doctors need to look at their physical symptoms and treat them. The science is there in the hundreds of children that are recovering autism and getting better. Many of those families were guided and supported toward that recovery by the support group TACA (Talk About Curing Autism).
THANK YOU JENNY!!! YOU ROCK!!
My science is my son. He is on a gluten & casein free diet & I can tell from across the schoolyard if he has gotten a single bite of wheat bread. He loses language & eye contact & previously lost autistic traits return. I welcome the day when science catches up to what parents are doing to help their children. But I won’t wait for it, certainly my son can’t wait.
Go to http://www.tacanow.org for info on the diet. It has made a huge difference for countless children.
Just wanted to chime in regarding the issue of diet – if you are a parent of a child with autism, like I am, and you are interested in finding out about how to implement the diet that Jenny talks about – go to http://www.tacanow.org – there is tons of information about this and many other issues surrounding autism.
My son is now 10 and is doing very well. He would not be doing so well if it weren’t for the GFCF diet, vitamins, supplements and lots and lots of hard work.
For some kids biomedical intervention is part of the puzzel – look into it and decide for yourself.
Moira
Mom to Vico
Jayne,
Wow. An interesting stance. Are you trying to manage parents expectations by pointing out the (supposed) lack of science around the diet? I’m trying to understand why you would write that.
I was also told to give up hope. I was told autism was non-recoverable. I was told to expect he might never speak, nor use the toilet and may need institutionalization. Not only did this ‘crystal ball’ approach tick me off, it actually fueled the fire to seek help for his ailing body. While you may call this diet unproven and anecdotal you are (possibly?) unwittingly insulting countless numbers of parents whose child(ren) has/have benefitted from it. 2 weeks after implementing this intervention, my child who had not vocalized anything (except screaming and crying) for over 2 years…..started to speak. Words. then a few words together. then sentences. more eyecontact. fewer tantrums and crying. less stim behavior. more compliant. And dare I say it? happier. Yes. happier. You’re darn right I’m gonna share this info with other parents of kids on the spectrum. Will it help all of them? maybe not. (It has to be 100% to truly work). But its certainly healthier (waaaaaaaay healthier) than the typical American diet of fast food and sugar. Whats so scary about talking about this? I’m concerned that doctors are not listening to parents. I have a phd in my own kid! I’m NOT an idiot. I am with him 24/7. Someone SHOULD be listening to us and funding more studies on this diet. If I sat around and waited for science to back up this healthy, non-invasive diet, my glorious joyful, now-typical child would possibly still be sitting in a pool of diarrhea, screaming in pain, spinning car wheels and lining up toy trucks.
Sorry gotta run. Gotta pick up my formerly autistic child from regular school (with no support/therapies/aide) and take him to soccer, then voice lessions…and maybe a playdate if there’s time. You can just sit back and keep waiting for the science.
Sorry, but it’s absurd to call Jenny McCarthy “your new spokesperson” on autism. She’s certainly not mine, and as the parent of an autistic child i’ve been grappling with this condition a good deal longer than she has.
I don’t have a quarrel with McCarthy’s advocacy of the GFCF diet, which might help some kids and doesn’t have harmful side effects. But her anti-science stance, the idea that her “mommy intuition” is more adept than actual research, is a pretty unhelpful message at a time when all kinds of unproven and potentially dangerous therapies are being peddled to parents of autistic children.
I wonder if all these newfound fans of McCarthy’s are aware of her ideas about autistic “crystal children” and other mumbo-jumbo (you can check them out for yourself here: http://www.childrenofthenewearth.com/free.php?page=articles_free/mccarthy_jenny/article1 )
There are a zillion people out there with more knowledge and wisdom about autism and who would make far better “spokespeople” than the likes of Jenny McCarthy. They just don’t have the dubious benefit of fringe celebrity to get their (far more valuable) message out.
Jim – seems you haven’t read her book, have you? She is in no way “anti-science” and her “mumbo jumbo” message is “heal what is physically wrong with the child & the autistic traits may be reduced”.
Jenny is a mom who has been through the same that any parent of a child with autism has been through. She is smart & vocal. She has recovered her child. There are no better qualifications for a spokesperson.
Michael,
If she’s not anti-science, how would one explain her statement on “Oprah” that her son is “her science” — dismissing the findings of actual research into causes and treatments?
To me her shaky knowledge of the subject was demonstrated by the fact that on “Oprah,” after implicating the MMR shot in her son’s autism, she let the CDC statement about autism and thimerosal pass without mentioning an important fact: MMR has never contained thimerosal. You’d think if she was aware of that she might’ve thought to clarify it.
The result is that there are probably parents-to-be out there who watched the show and think the MMR contains mercury. That’s on top of all the other needless fear she stoked that could easily scare parents from vaccinating their kids, creating real health threats for all kids. Don’t forget, vaccination rates plummeted and the measles incidence went up in the U.K. after Andrew Wakefield raised the first scare about MMR. (And also don’t forget that this is the same Wakefield who is the subject of charges of professional misconduct by the General Medical Council there.)
It will be truly sad if McCarthy’s comments put kids’ lives and health at risk here too.
Jim,
Did you overlook Holly’s post?
Here it is if you did. Maybe its too complex for you. Let me know if you need help finding access to a online medical library.
****
Here are some research papers published in respected peer-reviewed journals that you might want to read before you make such unfounded statements regarding dietary interventions.
Neuropsychobiology 2002;46(2):76-84
Innate Immunity Associated with Inflammatory Responses and Cytokine
Production against Common Dietary Proteins in Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
The Journal of Pediatrics
Volume 146, Issue 5 , May 2005, Pages 605-610
Evaluation of an association between gastrointestinal symptoms and cytokine production against common dietary proteins in children with autism spectrum disorders
Harumi Jyonouchi MD, Lee Geng PhD, Agnes Ruby BS, Chitra Reddy MD and Barbie Zimmerman-Bier MD
From the Department of Pediatrics, New Jersey Medical School, UMDNJ, Newark, New Jersey
Gastrointestinal complaints and diagnosis in children: a population-based study. Acta Paediatr. 2004 Jul;93(7):880-6.
Kokkonen J, Haapalahti M, Tikkanen S, Karttunen R, Savilahti E.
Department of Paediatrics, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland.
Food elimination based on IgG antibodies in irritable bowel syndrome: a randomised controlled trial. Gut. 2004 Oct;53(10):1459-64.
Atkinson W, Sheldon TA, Shaath N, Whorwell PJ.
Intestinal lymphocyte populations in children with regressive autism: evidence for extensive mucosal immunopathology. J Clin Immunol. 2003 Nov;23(6):504-17.
Ashwood P, Anthony A, Pellicer AA, Torrente F, Walker-Smith JA, Wakefield AJ.
White JF.: Intestinal pathophysiology in autism. Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2003 Jun;228(6):639-49.
Latcham F, Merino F, Lang A, Garvey J, Thomson MA, Walker-Smith JA, Davies SE, Phillips AD, Murch SH: A consistent pattern of minor immunodeficiency and subtle enteropathy in children with multiple food allergy. J Pediatr. 2003 Jul;143(1):39-47.
Centre for Paediatric Gastroenterology and Department of Dietetics and Histopathology, Royal Free and University College School of Medicine, London, United Kingdom.
Molloy CA, Manning-Courtney P.: Prevalence of chronic gastrointestinal symptoms in children with autism and autistic spectrum disorders. Autism. 2003 Jun;7(2):165-71.
If you would like, i can go on. I have over 50 more articles here.
**************
Autism is different for EVERY child. while it may fit into subcategories, thus defining it in its subjectivity…every child responds differently/uniquely and every child can have a very different experiences with the disease. My child was insanely miserable. all day all night crying screaming, GI issues, no unique quirkiness there. Lest you thnkkhe was never autistic in the first place he has multiple diagnoses. All now removed. The things I utilized for his recovery…is it a blank slate to work for ALL kids with autism ? No. But don’t discount my kid’s autism and how I corrected it and I wont judge your experience. Its a shame you have taken on this theory. We could all learn from each other…to make our children the healthiest and happiest they can be.
Many adult autistics claim they want to be left alone, not changed and allowed to relish in their diversity. I hear them. I applaud them (and their HIGHER THAN HIGH functioning autism), that was NOT my child’s autism. My child’s autism was poop everywhere all the time disintegrating his skin to oozing sores, incessant screaming. crying and pain, no sleep and endless stims and constant talk of mental impairment. If I had listened to mainstream medicine and even the likes of you my child would still be suffering and I would likely to be in jail for child endagerment. Your autism is not my autism. Stop judging it.
You claim Jenny McC has no basis for speaking out on the subject. Funny…many shows on ABC, CNN and hundreds of othermedia outlets think otherwise. Be accepting. Be gracious. Be intelligent. To date…you are none of the above.
Jim,
Did you overlook Holly’s post?
Here it is if you did. Maybe its too complex for you. Let me know if you need help finding access to a online medical library.
****
Here are some research papers published in respected peer-reviewed journals that you might want to read before you make such unfounded statements regarding dietary interventions.
Neuropsychobiology 2002;46(2):76-84
Innate Immunity Associated with Inflammatory Responses and Cytokine
Production against Common Dietary Proteins in Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
The Journal of Pediatrics
Volume 146, Issue 5 , May 2005, Pages 605-610
Evaluation of an association between gastrointestinal symptoms and cytokine production against common dietary proteins in children with autism spectrum disorders
Harumi Jyonouchi MD, Lee Geng PhD, Agnes Ruby BS, Chitra Reddy MD and Barbie Zimmerman-Bier MD
From the Department of Pediatrics, New Jersey Medical School, UMDNJ, Newark, New Jersey
Gastrointestinal complaints and diagnosis in children: a population-based study. Acta Paediatr. 2004 Jul;93(7):880-6.
Kokkonen J, Haapalahti M, Tikkanen S, Karttunen R, Savilahti E.
Department of Paediatrics, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland.
Food elimination based on IgG antibodies in irritable bowel syndrome: a randomised controlled trial. Gut. 2004 Oct;53(10):1459-64.
Atkinson W, Sheldon TA, Shaath N, Whorwell PJ.
Intestinal lymphocyte populations in children with regressive autism: evidence for extensive mucosal immunopathology. J Clin Immunol. 2003 Nov;23(6):504-17.
Ashwood P, Anthony A, Pellicer AA, Torrente F, Walker-Smith JA, Wakefield AJ.
White JF.: Intestinal pathophysiology in autism. Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2003 Jun;228(6):639-49.
Latcham F, Merino F, Lang A, Garvey J, Thomson MA, Walker-Smith JA, Davies SE, Phillips AD, Murch SH: A consistent pattern of minor immunodeficiency and subtle enteropathy in children with multiple food allergy. J Pediatr. 2003 Jul;143(1):39-47.
Centre for Paediatric Gastroenterology and Department of Dietetics and Histopathology, Royal Free and University College School of Medicine, London, United Kingdom.
Molloy CA, Manning-Courtney P.: Prevalence of chronic gastrointestinal symptoms in children with autism and autistic spectrum disorders. Autism. 2003 Jun;7(2):165-71.
If you would like, i can go on. I have over 50 more articles here.
**************
Autism is different for EVERY child. while it may fit into subcategories, thus defining it in its subjectivity…every child responds differently/uniquely and every child can have a very different experiences with the disease. My child was insanely miserable. all day all night crying screaming, GI issues, no unique quirkiness there. Lest you thnkkhe was never autistic in the first place he has multiple diagnoses. All now removed. The things I utilized for his recovery…is it a blank slate to work for ALL kids with autism ? No. But don’t discount my kid’s autism and how I corrected it and I wont judge your experience. Its a shame you have taken on this theory. We could all learn from each other…to make our children the healthiest and happiest they can be.
Many adult autistics claim they want to be left alone, not changed and allowed to relish in their diversity. I hear them. I applaud them (and their HIGHER THAN HIGH functioning autism), that was NOT my child’s autism. My child’s autism was poop everywhere all the time disintegrating his skin to oozing sores, incessant screaming. crying and pain, no sleep and endless stims and constant talk of mental impairment. If I had listened to mainstream medicine and even the likes of you my child would still be suffering and I would likely to be in jail for child endagerment. Your autism is not my autism. Stop judging it.
You claim Jenny McC has no basis for speaking out on the subject. Funny…many shows on ABC, CNN and hundreds of other media outlets think otherwise. If you think its cause she pretty and has a nice set….read the book. It may not be YOUR autism but is WAS mine and hundreds of others I know. All independant of one another. The stories resonate.
Be accepting. Be gracious. Be intelligent. Be informed. To date…you are none of the above.
Jim,
Hey, if Jenny McCarthy doesn’t speak for you, fine. If you don’t like the fact that her “dubious fringe celebrity” has served to get autism recovery into the public eye to a far greater extent than your zillions of more qualified spokespeople combined, fine, neither do I, but that’s how the modern media work. But to pick at her for failing to correct the MMR-thimerosal misimpression (one of many) in the CDC statement on Oprah, right there in the moment on TV, is just petty. Don’t we autism parents have enough real problems, and enough divergent experiences of what works and what doesn’t, to keep us all busy for a million years without sniping at one another? Jenny McCarthy’s persona is never going to be everyone’s cup of tea, and most people aren’t going to achieve the same tremendous results as she has for her son, but I say more power to her for sharing what’s worked for her. As other posters have noted, when the magnitude of the science catches up to the magnitude of the autism epidemic, and the AAP has something useful to say besides “seek behavioral intervention” — then we’ll have the luxury of squabbling among ourselves about whose success was achieved by more scientifically orthodox methods — hurt us all with THAT problem someday.
Jim – Jenny didn’t mention thimerosal, the CDC did.
And, as long as you mentioned Andrew Wakefield, his studies have been replicated numerous times by respected institutions (such as Harvard University). That, my friend, is science.
And, yes, Andrew wakefield is being investigated. That, my friend, is politics.
AutismMOM,
I’m not sure what statements of mine about dietary interventions that you refer to. This is the only thing i said about diets:
“I don’t have a quarrel with McCarthy’s advocacy of the GFCF diet, which might help some kids and doesn’t have harmful side effects.”
Also, i’m not judging “your autism.” I’m judging what i consider to be Jenny McCarthy’s incomplete, uninformed and ultimately irresponsible statements about vaccines and autism.
Perhaps you could try a little graciousness yourself and spare me the smug statement about my intelligence, when you apparently didn’t understand my post in the first place.
Cathy, I just don’t agree that pointing out McCarthy’s fudging or misapprehension of the MMR/thimerosal issue is petty. It’s potentially a very serious issue of public health. As i mentioned, MMR vaccination plummeted in the U.K. after Wakefield made his initial claims. I doubt the parents of kids who contracted measles during that time would consider the discussion a petty matter.
Michael, I’m not aware of the numerous studies you mention that replicate Wakefield’s findings — perhaps you could be more specific? I AM aware that at the recent Autism Omnibus proceedings, testimony indicated major problems (to say the least) with the lab procedures used to come up with Wakefield’s results.
I guess i’m outnumbered here. I’m not trying to pick a quarrel with anybody, and i know as acutely as all of you do how difficult it is to find interventions that work. I just don’t believe McCarthy and her pseudo-science do a whole lot to advance the understanding of autism or the dignity of autistic people. (Maybe i just need to listen to my inner Indigo a little more closely …)
Jenny & MMR/thimerosal:
I reviewed Oprah, 20/20, and Good Morning America. Jenny never used the word thimerosal. (I love technology!)
Words used by Jenny: ingredients, additives
MMR, vaccines.
On Oprah a statement was read from the CDC that said
“CDC places a high priority on vaccine safety and the integrity and credibility of its vaccine safety research. This commitment not only stems from our scientific and medical dedication, it is also personal—for most of us who work at CDC are also parents and grandparents. And as such, we too, have high levels of personal interest and concern in the health and safety of children, families and communities. We simply don’t know what causes most cases of autism, but we’re doing everything we can to find out. The vast majority of science to date does not support an association between thimerosal in vaccines and autism. But we are currently conducting additional studies to further determine what role, if any, thimerosal in vaccines may play in the development of autism. It is important to remember, vaccines protect and save lives. Vaccines protect infants, children and adults from the unnecessary harm and premature death caused by vaccine-preventable diseases.”
For the record Thimerosal has NEVER been in the MMR. But it has been in dozens of other vaccines over the years. It is still in the flu vaccine and in 2 other pediatric vaccines.
Families can see which vaccines contain thimerosal at this FDA Web site
http://www.fda.gov/cber/vaccine/thimerosal.htm#t3
It is my personal opinion you stay far away from injecting thimerosal (mercury by definition) in any living being. Its extremely toxic. Parents can ask for thimerosal free variations of every vaccine available. You have to be diligent.
I am just saying Jim – you are stating Thimerosal and MMR together. Perhaps this is being perpetuated by you? I don’t know.
Jim – I am more than happy to engage in a respectful debate over this issue, but your use of sarcastic and inflammatory language (“Maybe i just need to listen to my inner Indigo a little more closely …”) indicates an unwillingness (or inability) to do so and, frankly, weakens your argument.
Speaking as an equally passionate Dad of a boy with autism, I wish you every success with your child.
Yes. I read and UNDERSTOOD your statement on the diet. Thank you for your wonderful effusive words granting that it may help some and is not harmful. I was merely providing you with some SCIENCE behind it since you seem so keen on demanding it. Yes, Michael maybe you could provide more studies for Jim.
Its easy to interpret your intelligence when you insist on using terms like “psuedo-science” You claim those of us that believe that vaccines are implicateed in our children’s autism have no proof. You also have no proof that they do not. What possible benefit could we parents gain by talking about a potential link between vaccines and autism except to work towards the the safety and health of all our children? On the other hand the governmental agencies have PLENTY of reasons to lie, cover up and manipulate data after damaging countless numbers of children. Please visit http://www.putchildrenfirst.org to find many documents that prove just that found through the Freedom of Information Act.
I believe in the concept of vaccines. I just do not believe they are as safe as possible. As for the measles… I”d pick that and chicken pox, the mumps etc… over (my kid’s) autism anyday. If the governmental agencies want to lift the veil of secrecy they have around the vaccine schedule (more than tripled since I was a child) and its ramifications…then we’ll talk.
My child’s autism was most definitely caused by vaccines. Even my Western med pediatrician believes it was.
You are also right in that I was not very gracious. But you Started it! (that was a joke BTW) Its very hard to not get a bit elevated when you judge someone who’s story exactly mirrors mine and my beliefs. I honestly believe that vaccines play a huge (though probabaly not sole) reason in the autism epidemic. Injecting a known neuro toxin into children then slamming their compromised immune systems with multiples live viruses…is just well, silly. No stupid.
When you take any medication your doctor prescibes a dosage based on weight (generally speaking). Why are preemies given the same vaccine as a ten pound baby? Why do we not test for allergies BEFORE injecting children with vaccines that are cultured in an egg medium.? As Jenny says there is no one size fits all and expecting vaccines to do that is irresponsible and scary.
OK, well, we’re just never going to agree on some of this. Just a couple of things:
“Its easy to interpret your intelligence when you insist on using terms like “psuedo-science.”
Why? Are you saying pseudo-science doesn’t exist? As far as providing proof that vaccines do not cause autism, it’s been said many times and many places, but let me restate it here: Those who put forward a hypothesis (such as “vaccines=autism”) have the responsiblity to prove it is true. It’s not everyone else’s burden to disprove it. That’s just the way science works. I don’t see how it could possibly work otherwise. If you personally believe vaccines do cause autism i would not try to convince you otherwise, but i think the world at large deserves more evidence of that assertion.
I’m also surprised to hear people say they’d take measles over autism, since measles is potentially fatal. I just would not want to take that risk myself.
Michael, thank you sincerely for your good wishes, and i certainly extend the same to you. I wasn’t trying to be inflammatory — just poking a little tongue-in-cheek fun at what i find to be a pretty far-out set of beliefs (meaning McCarthy’s whole crystal/indigo children thing).
AnotherMom,
The fact that McCarthy never mentioned thimerosal was kind of my point. She talked about suspecting the MMR in her son’s autism; then Oprah, having asked the CDC for its take on vaccines and autism, displayed the CDC response that focused on thimerosal (since that’s been the main thrust of the debate here in the U.S.); then, when the show cut back to McCarthy, she never pointed out that the MMR does not contain thimerosal. That’s what made me wonder whether she even realizes that fact. It also made me wonder if viewers were left with the impression that MMR contains mercury. The subject is muddled enough as it is.
Thanks all, and best wishes to you.
I have read through the pages of posts. I want to thank you all for your time and attention. I am scared to death to give my son any shots and he going to be 10 months old. He had his first round, but I have not gone forward with the others. Like a few of you have mentioned I don’t think it is 100% vaccines, but AutismMom has summed up my feelings in her last post. My son does not have autism, but I feel that ‘we’ as a society need to pay attention and find out what it causing this horrible epidemic that is hurting our children and families.
Jayne Lytel says that we should ignore hope and stick to science, with regards to diet and autism.
It’s a funny thing, when no one questions eating Chicken McNuggets, Taco Bell, and other garbage. But, people get ostracized for trying dietary intervention.
I read about a “failed” study regarding autism and probiotics. Why did the study fail? It was a blind study, meaning that the parents who were giving their child probiotics didn’t know if it was a placebo or probiotics. However, the results were so dramatic, when the scientists told the parents to switch supplements, the parents refused to switch. The study could not continue.
I’ve personally seen diet reverse autism (and it wasn’t a GFCF diet). Diet can play a huge role in recovery.
Daniel Corrigan
Body Ecology Coach
http://www.corganic.com
I would love for Jenny to get this message. .
My little sister was born in 1970 and was diagnosed with Autism at about age 4. My older sister was about 13 and myself 11 upon diagnosis. We lived in South Bend,Ind at the time. My little sister was actually someone’s thesis at Notre Dame. This was when behavior modification was coming out. She was a product of that. No diets or anything were known at that time. I have to say behavior Mod helped tremendously and should continue to be a part of these kids treatment plan. She is mentally handicapped and was put on a lot of unneccessary drugs back in the day including Haldol!! which didn’t help matters and actually caused worse problems. Be thankful that your child is at least being born into a time of awareness. My childhood was rough!! Our family went through a lot. I feel like the expert myself. My little sister (Trish) is now 37. She lives with my mom and is very high functioning. I would love to help the fight against Autism. I have dealt with it personally for 34 years or so. Good luck to you and your child. Keep up the fight. I say it’s about time!!!!
Hi Jenny,
Just wanted to let you know. My friend who went to the same high school as you aslo has twin boys with autisum. Do you think their might be more woman like you?
Just wondering,
Melanie Senerchia, Evergreen Park, Illinois
My son was diagnosed with severe OCD @ age nine. I contacted NIMH and my son was not qualified to participate in their study of PANDAS related to chronic strep infections. I discovered a physician in Detroit who certainly bent over backwards to assist us in administering IVIG to calm done the inflammation associated with Pandas. The treatment worked!!! My son is now 16 and we finally got a diagnosis of Asperger’s!! It all makes sense now. We discovered that he has leaky gut and has been exposed to EBV and lymes disease. He has had chelation, and has been on antifungals, and supplements for yeast overgrowth. It is an ongoing process. He presently is @ an alternative school to aid him with his social skills and to be independent. This has been a costly journey and @ times heartbreaking. People have tunnel vision when it comes to autoimmune disorders that can effect your children neurologically. People tend to analyze your parenting skills and too often the marriage suffers as well if you have a spouse who doesn’t want to understand and blames you for your child’s erratic behavior. EVERY child on the spectrum can be so random. You have to be an investigator and often times treatment is all about trial and error.
I seem to be in the minority in regards to thinking that immunizations “cause” autism. My son met all of his milestones relatively on time. He did not go to his 2-yr old checkup until @age 2-1/2 due to family issues at the time. When we took him at 2-1/2, the doctor noticed his speech delay (prior to receiving his 2-yr old vaccinations). Perhaps…it is coincidental that the features present at this age at the same time that immunizations are given. Perhaps the medical community could come to a concensus on staggering or delaying those injections to see what is what exactly??
My son cooper is autistic and 5 years old.. when he was 14 months old the hospital doubled up on his shots and gave him a chicken pox shot. he screamed and rolled around on the ground that night like he was dying, cooper ran a temp for 7 days of 106.7. the docors said it was just a reactions.. the reaction ended up to be autism. People need to learn the facts and not just the problem…….GET YOUR KID BETTER because it is only up to you as their parents and life is to short.! Thanks jenny for the oprah show. I am from a small town and that finally opened their red necks minds!
My son cooper is autistic and 5 years old.. when he was 14 months old the hospital doubled up on his shots and gave him a chicken pox shot. he screamed and rolled around on the ground that night like he was dying, cooper ran a temp for 7 days of 106.7. the docors said it was just a reactions.. the reaction ended up to be autism. People need to learn the facts and not just the problem…….GET YOUR KID BETTER because it is only up to you as their parents and life is to short.! Thanks jenny for the oprah show. I am from a small town and that finally opened their red necks minds!
Jayne is no expert. She may call herself an executive director of whatever, but she’s just a mom who wrote a book exploiting her autistic son.
Hello, I am a Belgian mother of 17-year old son with autism. My son is verbal,followed normal education with help from me, his issues : shyness, constipation, concentration problems, problems with maturity, practically no friends because interaction with people is difficult, parasite, yeast on him, acne, kind of dandruff on top of his head. Since the age of 8, we have been trying a lot of natural supplements, hospitals med and i have wasted a lot of money trying to make him became a man and live freely without being intimidated by friends in the neighbor hood also to get him better and more focused for school matters and his general health. Nothing ever seems to pull through not until one day, i decided to share his situation to a very close friend of mine who claims there is an herbal man who cured her 12 years old son called Baba Alika and has also helped a lot of women to cure their children’s Autism. quickly i contacted his email: babaalikahealinghome @ gmail. com been giving to me by miss Ava, just to give him a test, i spoke to him he asked me to purchase his Autism roots herbs and seed oil which i did, he promised to send it as soon as purchased and thereafter i received it and start to use the Autism herbal med immediately on him for only 7 days instructed by Baba Alika. it was unbelievable after 21 days i was my son totally cured and free from Autism disgrace and embarrassment. There was so much improvement. He seems to get more awareness, gives more interaction at home, interact with friends that never wanted him close. Today i am here to spread the good news of my son health on how Baba Alika saved him from the nightmare and outbreaks of Autism. You can contact him via email: babaalikahealinghome @ gmail. com if you are still in my past situation…I guarantee you, your Autism child is going to be healed and feel alive again just as mine right now.