What Causes Autism?
Many scientists and MD’s relate autism to genetics. Genetics do play a role, of course, but all alternative practitioners along with a growing number of mainstream practitioners also relate autism to environmental factors. The mainstream medical community says that there is no relation between autism and vaccination, yet many parents have observed that the onset of their child’s autism coincided exactly with their child’s vaccine jab.
In December 2009, the CDC released its autism figures for the 2006 surveillance year. These figures showed that autism increased by a shocking 60% between the years 2002 and 2006 with almost 1% of all US kids affected. The rate of autism in the United States is now somewhere between 1 and 91 to 1 and 110 children, with the majority being boys.
Genetics alone cannot explain these numbers. Environmental toxicity must play a large role. Consider that autism was a very rare disease in the 1980’s. Also consider there has been a 260% increase in vaccines administered between 1983 and 2007. It is commonly believed by many alternative health practitioners that the culprit is thimerosal (mercury), an ingredient in many childhood vaccines. A study done in 2006 (Walker et al) suggests that thimerosal exposure may be a triggering mechanism for autism in susceptible children. I don’t think that mercury is the only culprit, although I’m sure it does play some role, since it can cause brain damage. There are many toxic ingredients in childhood vaccines, including but not limited to aluminum salts, ammonium sulfate, formaldehyde, hydrochloric acid, hydrogen peroxide, neomycin, MSG, 2-phenoxyethanol, phosphate buffers, polysorbate 80, sodium chloride, sodium hydroxide, and sorbitol. For a more detailed analysis of toxic ingredients in vaccines, including thimerosal, see my blog articles: Swine Flu Vaccine Without Adjuvant is Unsafe and Swine flu vaccine ingredients are not safe for pregnant women and children.
Any one of the toxic ingredients in childhood vaccines could be the cause of autism. Most likely, what happens is that the baby’s body is not able to handle the sheer volume of vaccines injected into him/her, resulting in various types of chronic health problems and sometimes resulting in autism if the baby is genetically susceptible. Other likely causes of autism include pollution, toxins in our food/water supply and pharmaceutical drugs. Any type of toxin in the environment could contribute to autism.
An excellently well-referenced article in The American Chronicle discusses the potential causes of autism. Phthalates, PCB’s and other chemicals (Booker, 2001), have increased at the same rate as autism has. Metal concentrations in the air may also be linked to autism (Windham, 2006).
Read about the gentlest, most effective way to treat autism: Natural Treatment of Autism with Homeopathy
References
Booker, S (2001). NIEHS investigates links between children, the environment, and neurotoxicity. Environmental Health Perspectives. 109:6, A258-A261.
Walker, SJ, Segal, J, & Aschner, M (2006). Cultured lymphocytes from autistic children and non-autistic siblings up-regulate heat shock protein RNA in response to thimerosal challenge. Neurotoxicology. 27:5, 685-692.
Windham, GC, Zhang, L, Gunier, R, Croen, LA, & Grether, JK (2006). Autism spectrum disorder in relation to distribution of hazardous air pollutants in the San Francisco bay area. Environmental Health Perspectives. 114:9, 1438-1444.
Mercury & Heavy Metal Detox Dangers & Solutions
Those of you who are familiar with naturopathic doctors are very likely also familiar with the concept of detoxing one’s body of heavy metals. The process of detoxing heavy metals is commonly known as chelation.
Chelation therapy is the use of chelating agents (e.g. DMSA, EDTA, DMPS) to detoxify poisonous metal agents such as mercury, arsenic, and lead by converting them to a chemically inert form that can be excreted without further interaction with the body, and was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1991.
I will be the first to admit that we live in a polluted world that is filled with toxins. We breathe polluted air, drink polluted water, and eat polluted food. Pregnant women are warned not to eat tuna fish because they are filled with mercury (as well as other toxins), absorbed from the polluted waters of the ocean. Like the ocean, our atmosphere is also polluted with mercury. Add mercury-containing vaccines and amalgam dental fillings into the mix, and you can be sure that your body does contain some undesireable amount of mercury.
Could we all benefit at least a bit from detoxing our body of heavy metals? Most certainly. However, many alternative health practitioners and alternative health companies seem to be cashing in on the concept of heavy metal toxicity by saying it is responsible for a variety of ills including cancer, autism, chronic fatigue, and almost everything under the sun.
First I will be examining dangerous ways of detoxing heavy metals. Shockingly enough, these supplements are routinely prescribed by many naturopaths and DAN! (Defeat Autism Now) Doctors. I will then be looking at some safer ways of detoxing, and of treating disease in general.
DMSA
Even as early as 10 years ago, alternative health expert Dr. Mercola was writing about the dangers of using DMSA for mercury detoxification of autistic children.
Dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA), is the organosulfur compound with the formula HO2CCH(SH)CH(SH)CO2H. It is an FDA approved synthetic drug, used by some naturopaths and DAN! Doctors to chelate (excrete) heavy metals from the body. DMSA has also been used by traditional MDs in cases of lead poisoning. It is not a natural supplement.
The side effects of DMSA include seizures, increased self-stimming, compromised central nervous system function, ataxia, convulsions, nausea, diarrhea, anorexia, headache, dizziness, sensorimotor neuropathy, decreased urination, arrhythmia, and infection. These side effects are probably due to the inability of the liver and kidneys to detox the mercury in the tissues adequately. Thus, the mercury circulates in the blood, taxing the brain, lungs, muscles, heart, kidney and liver.
EDTA
EDTA is a widely used initialism for the organic compound ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. Like DMSA, EDTA is FDA approved, has traditionally been used to treat lead poisoning, and is not a natural supplement. Unlike DMSA, EDTA is a weak chelator of mercury.
Taking EDTA can be dangerous because it will chelate calcium and other essential minerals out of the body, along with the undesireable heavy metals.
Treatment is commonly administered via IV. Not only is treatment typically expensive, but potential side effects are kidney failure, convulsions, respiratory arrest, cardiac arrythmias, allergic reactions, respiratory arrest, and even death.
DMPS
Dr. Mercola and other alternative practitioners believe this is a safe alternative to DMSA, but I’m not convinced.
Dimercapto-propane sulfonate (DMPS) is an experimental drug used for chelation, not approved by the FDA.
Drs. Levy and Huggins are experts in the field of toxicity due to mercury amalgam fillings. In their book Uninformed Consent, they talk about the dangers of using synthetic chelators: “Heavy metal chelators almost always overaccelerate the detoxification of the post-TDR (total dental revision) patient. DMSA, DMPS, and EDTA can all do this. DMPS is consistently the greatest offender here. Immune declines and clinical illness can result for weeks and sometimes even months after only one injection of DMPS.”
DMPS side effects include shivering, fever, mild to severe skin reactions, nausea, dizziness, and weakness. Long term use of DMPS can influence the mineral balance, especially for elements zinc and copper. Administration of DMPS causes mobilization of mercury taken up in the body. In isolated cases therefore, clinical symptoms of mercury poisoning may be produced.
Chlorella
Chlorella is a variety of algae found in fresh water such as lakes or ponds. It is commonly used as a natural chelation supplement.
Chlorella has a great affinity for mercury and heavy metals. However, Dr. Mercola points out that chlorella also readily extracts mercury from the water it is grown in. Analysis of at least one specimen of commercially available chlorella has shown high levels of mercury.
Safe, Effective Heavy Metal Detox
I wholeheartedly believe that the safest and most effective way of detoxing heavy metals is to use methods that detoxify the body gently and slowly.
To find out whether heavy metals are indeed the root cause of the problem, I recommend doing a hair mineral test. If heavy metals are not the cause, the hair mineral test will identify what is the true problem.
Assuming that heavy metals are the root cause of the problem, the last thing one should do with a toxic individual is to use strong chelating agents. Most likely their body will not be able to handle these aggressive methods because their organs of excretion aren’t working as well as other peoples’, which is why they are so toxic in the first place.
Homeopathic Remedies
Even the most sensitive, reactive person is able to handle homeopathic remedies. Homeopathy gently detoxes the body naturally, without any dangerous side effects. One of the great things about homeopathy is that the dose can always be adjusted downwards to accommodate even the most sensitive individual. Homeopathic treatment is never dangerous and is very effective.
We use the Pekana detox kit combined with the “Toxex” heavy metal detox remedy by Pekana in order to get rid of any heavy metals safely and effectively.
Contact the clinic or a qualified classical homeopath in your area to inquire about homeopathic detox remedies.
Homeopathy, combined with vitamin therapy (see below), is the most gentle and effective way to detox heavy metals.
Vitamin C
Almost anybody can benefit from Vitamin C supplementation. Many people suffering from heavy metal toxicity see amazing results just from using Vitamin C supplementation alone.
Two types of Vitamin C are recommended, to be taken together: Calcium Ascorbate and Ascorbyl Palmitate.
Dosage: Both forms of Vitamin C (Calcium Ascorbate and Ascorbyl Palmitate) are taken 3 times per day. The general rule is not more than 1000 mg per year of age. So a child of 4 years can be given approx. 4000 mg a day divided over three doses a day. This means 3 times Calcium Ascorbate 1000 mg and 3 times Ascorbyl Palmitate of 500 mg. This makes 3600 mg per day. Children 6 years and older, and adults, should take a maximum of 6 grams per day.
Diarrhea: The only serious side effect of taking too much Vitamin C is diarrhea. If diarrhea occurs, decrease the dosage.
Zinc
Toxic heavy metals rob the body of zinc.
Give 10 mg for children under 4, 20 mg to children 4 to 8, and 30 mg to children 9 years and older and adults.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
A good-quality, uncontaminated fish oil is the best source of Omega-3 Fatty Acids. Omega-3 Fatty Acid supplementation helps with autism, all types of cognitive impairment, as well as skin problems such as eczema or psoriasis. Take up to 500 mg per day.
Bentonite Clay
Clay therapy has been used for thousands of years by indigenous peoples. When taken internally, clay has the ability to absorb harmful, toxic substances from within the body, binding with them and carrying them out of the body. Unlike synthetic chelating agents such as DMSA, clay does not cause the release of toxins into the bloodstream/ instead, it actually absorbs the toxins before they enter the bloodstream. Clay cannot be digested. It simply passes through the digestive system, absorbing toxins as it passes through, then the toxins are eliminated when the clay is eliminated through the bowel.
Those who cannot or will not drink clay can still experience its benefits by taking clay baths. Clay has the ability to pull toxins through the pores of the skin.
Fasting & Restricted Diets
Water fasting is a cheap, easy way of detoxing the body. When the body is free from the process of digestion, energy is freed so that the body can heal itself. Those who don’t like the idea of fasting can also benefit from a detox diet: try cutting out wheat, dairy, sugar, alcohol and caffeine. Fasting is not recommended for children. However, many people, especially autistic children, do benefit tremendously from a gluten and casein (dairy) free diet.
Sweating
Sweating is a great way to release toxins from the body. Try saunas, steam rooms, or vigorous exercise.
Research
Brown MJ, Willis T, Omalu B, Leiker R (2006). “Deaths resulting from hypocalcemia after administration of edetate disodium: 2003–2005“. Pediatrics 118 (2): e534-6. doi:10.1542/peds.2006-0858. PMID 16882789.
Further Reading
Knishinsky, Ran, The Clay Cure: Natural Healing from the Earth, Inner Tradition, Rochester, Vermont, 2000.
Smits, Tinus. Autism: Beyond Despair, Emryss Publishers, Haarlem, Netherlands, 2010.
Fear the MMR Vaccine, Not the Measles
The Propaganda
At the end of March 2010 the mainstream media loudly announces an outbreak of measles in BC. As of April 16 there have been 44 cases of measles reported around the Vancouver Lower Mainland, the BC Interior and Northern BC. No serious complications have been reported thus far though the media is using its usual scare tactics to urge the unvaccinated population to run out to get the MMR vaccine. Some schools are actually sending unvaccinated children home because they feel that measles is such a serious threat.
Simple Solution
Poverty and Malnutrition are the Problem, Not the Measles
The press gives the impression that measles can only be kept under control by vaccination, but there is another side to the story. According to figures published in International Mortality Statistics, from 1915 to 1958 the measles death rate in the U.S. and U.K. declined by 98% (Miller). A chart illustrating the decline was published in a Public Health Report: “Mortality in the United States, 1900-1950.” The measles vaccine was introduced a few years after the decline, in 1963. The decline was not due to the vaccine, so most likely it was due to better sanitation, nutrition, and standards of living in the U.S. and U.K. Today, measles is a mild disease in first world countries but can be more severe in third world countries and in impoverished populations in the first world (Fisher). According to several studies, Vitamin A deficiency plays a big role in complication rates and chances of dying from measles (Sommer; Barclay; Keusch; Frieden). A simple solution to the measles problem is to improve hygiene and nutrition in impoverished populations.
Questionable Statistics
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates the rate of measles-induced encephalitis at 1 in every 1000 infected. Dr. Robert Mendelsohn, renowned pediatrician and vaccine researcher, questions the CDC’s numbers. He says those numbers may be accurate for people living in impoverished conditions, but for those with adequate nutrition and living conditions, the true incidence of measles-induced encephalitis is more like 1 in 10,000 or 1 in 100,000. In his bestselling book The Vaccine Guide, homeopathic pediatrician Dr. Neustaedter asserts that only 25 percent of measles induced encephalitis cases show evidence of brain damage.
Vaccine Failure
Vaccine manufacturers would like you to believe that the MMR vaccine is 100% effective, but this is not always the case. In 1988, the CDC reports that in the U.S. a whopping 45% of those who contracted the measles were fully vaccinated. The next year, in 1989 in the U.S., the CDC reports that a surprising 40% of those who got the measles were fully vaccinated. In 1996 in the U.S., the CDC reports that only 64% of those who got the measles were unvaccinated and the rest were fully vaccinated. Studies done in Ethiopia and India reported varying vaccine efficacy rates of between 53%-100% (Talley; Puri). Dr. Neustaedter estimates that approximately 60% of all children infected with the measles will have been previously vaccinated. Measles outbreaks have been reported in schools where the entire school population was fully vaccinated (Gustafson; Poland; Edmonson). Edmonson concludes that as measles immunization rates rise to high levels in a population, measles becomes a disease of immunized persons.
Vaccination Shifts Infection Risk to More Vulnerable Populations
The measles vaccine alters distribution of the disease by shifting incidence rates from age-groups unlikely to experience problems (children aged 5-9) to age-groups most likely to suffer from severe complications (infants, teenagers, and adults). According to the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, the risk of death from measles is higher for infants and adults than for children. Before the vaccine was introduced it was rare for an infant to contract measles, but by the 1990s more than 25% of all measles cases were occurring in babies under a year of age (Miller). This can be attributed to the growing number of mothers who were vaccinated in the 60s, 70s, and 80s (Haney). Before the vaccine, mothers were able to pass protective maternal antibodies to their babies, but now babies of vaccinated mothers are more vulnerable to measles (Papania). Before the introduction of the vaccine, measles was acquired in childhood before reaching adulthood. Now, since the introduction of the vaccine, measles incidence in the adult population in Canada and the U.S. is steadily increasing (Duclos).
Studies Suggest a Link Between MMR Vaccine and
Autism, Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Ulcerative Colitis
There are studies that link the MMR vaccine with some serious health disorders. One study links MMR vaccination with irritable bowel syndrome (Thompson). Scientific papers have been published reporting a likely link between the MMR vaccine and autism (Taranger; Rutter). These studies done by Taranger and Rutter linked the onset of the studied children’s autism with immunization. A controversial scientific paper by Andrew Wakefield published in the Lancet also states that the parents of the autistic children linked the onset of symptoms with the administration of the MMR vaccine. Another study has been done that confirms Wakefield’s findings (O’Leary). In 2000, a study was done confirming the existence of the vaccine strain of the measles virus in the guts of patients with autism and ulcerative colitis (Kawashima). Two studies done by Singh et al. in 2002 and 2003 confirmed the presence of MMR antibodies in autistic children, again suggesting a link between the MMR vaccine and autism. Singh concludes that the autistic children he studied had a hyper immune response to the vaccine strain of the measles in the MMR vaccine. In a paper published in 2004, measles virus was found in the spinal fluid of the autistic children studied and the authors conclude that it was very likely the vaccine strain of the virus (Bradstreet). Geier & Geier were able to measure a correlation between mercury doses from thimerosal- containing vaccines and the prevalence of autism in the 1980s and 90s. Although thimerosal has now been removed from the MMR vaccine in Canada, Geier & Geier were also able to find some correlation between measles-containing vaccines and the prevalence of autism in the 1980s.
MMR Vaccine Banned in Japan
The MMR vaccine was banned in Japan in 1993. Soon after introducing the vaccine, a record number of children developed non-viral meningitis and and other adverse reactions. An analysis of vaccinations over a three-month period showed one in every 900 children was experiencing problems. This was over 2,000 times higher than the expected rate of one child in every 100,000 to 200,000.
Barclay, A.J.G., et al. “Vitamin A supplements and mortality related to measles: a randomised clinical trial.” British Medical Journal (January 31, 1987) pp. 294-96.
Bradstreet, J.J., et al. “Detection of measles virus genomic RNA in cerebrospinal fluid of children with regressive autism: a report of three cases.” J Am Phys Surg. 2004:9(2):38-45.
Duclos, P., et al. “Measles in adults in Canada and the United States: implications for measles elimination and eradication.” Int J Epidemiol. 1999 Feb;28(1):141-6.
Edmonson, M. B., et al. (1990). “Mild Measles and Secondary Vaccine Failure During a Sustained Outbreak in a Highly Vaccinated Population.” JAMA 263: 2467-2471
Fisher, B.L., The Consumer’s Guide to Childhood Vaccines (Vienna, VA: National Vaccine Information Center, 1997), p. 18.
Frieden, T.R., et al. “Vitamin A levels and severity of measles: New York City.” Am J Dis Child 1992; 146: 182-86
Geier M.R., and Geier D.A. “A comparative evaluation of the effects of MMR immunization and mercury doses from thimerosal-containing childhood vaccines on the population prevalence of autism..” Med Sci Monit. 2004 Mar;10(3):PI33-9. Epub 2004 Mar 1.
Gustafson, T.L., “Measles Outbreak in a Fully Immunized School Population.” N Engl J Med 1987;316:771-4.
Haney, Daniel Q., “Wave of Infant Measles Stems from ’60s Vaccinations,” Albuquerque Journal, (November 23, 1992), p. B3
Kawashima, T., et al. “Detection and Sequencing of Measles Virus from Peripheral Mononuclear Cells from Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Autism” Dig Dis Sci. 2000 Apr;45(4):723-9.
Keusch, G.T. “Vitamin A supplements–too good to not be true.” New England Journal of Medicine (October 4, 1990), p. 986.
Mendelsohn, Robert. How to Raise a Healthy Child . . . In Spite of Your Doctor (Ballantine Books, 1984), pp. 231 and 251.
Miller, Neil Z., Vaccines: Are They Really Safe and Effective? New Atlantean Press, 2002.
Neustaedter, R. The Vaccine Guide. (Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books, 1996), pp.107-108.
O’Leary JJ, et al. Measles virus and autism. Lancet. 2000 Aug 26;356(9231):772.
Papania, Mark et al., “Increased Susceptibility to Measles in Infants in the United States.” Pediatrics Vol. 104 No. 5 November 1999, p. e59
Poland, G. A., Jacobson, R. M. (1994). “Failure to Reach the Goal of Measles Elimination: Apparent Paradox of Measles Infections in Immunized Persons.” Arch Intern Med 154: 1815-1820
Puri, A. et al. “Measles Vaccine Efficacy Evaluated by Case Reference Technique.” Indian Pediatr. 2002 Jun;39(6):556-60.s,
Roberts, R.J. et al. “Reasons for non-uptake of measles, mumps and rubella catch up immunisation in a measles epidemic and side effects of the vaccine.” BMJ 1995;310:1629-1639 (24 June)
Rutter, M. et al. “Autism and known medical conditions: myth and substance.” Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. 1994;35:311-322.
Singh, V.K., et al. “Abnormal measles-mumps-rubella antibodies and CNS autoimmunity in Children with Autism.” J Biomed Sci. 2002 Jul-Aug;9(4):359-64.
Singh, V.K., Jensen R.L. “Elevated levels of measles antibodies in children with autism.” Pediatr Neurol. 2003 Apr;28(4):292-4.
Sommer, A., et al. “Increased risk of respiratory disease and diarrhea in children with pre-existing mild vitamin A deficiency.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1984; 40: 1090-1095.
Sommer, A., et al. “Impact of vitamin A supplementation on childhood mortality: a randomized controlled community trial.” Lancet 1986; 1:1169-73.
Talley, L. and P. Salama. “Short report: assessing field efficacy for measles in famine-affected rural Ethiopia. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2003 May;68(5):545-6.
Taranger J, Wiholm BE. Litet antal biverkninger rapporterade efter vaccination mot massling-passguka-roda hund. Lakartidningen. 1987;84:958-950.
Thompson, N.P. Wakefield et al. “Is measles vaccination a risk factor for inflammatory bowel disease?” Lancet 1995; 345: 1071-1074.
Wakefield et al. “Ileal-lymphoid-nodular hyperplasia, non-specific colitis, and pervasive developmental disorder in children.” Lancet. 1998 Feb 28;351(9103):637-41.