15 replies to this topic

[stocks]

Vaccines aren’t to blame for autism, a special federal court declared Thursday in a blow to thousands of families hoping to win compensation and to many more who are convinced of a connection.

The special masters who decided the case expressed sympathy for the families, some of whom have made emotional pleas describing their children’s conditions, but the rulings were blunt: There’s little if any evidence to support claims of a vaccine-autism link.


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29160138

[OEXCHAOS]

Thank goodness. The author of the study that started this mess needs to do time for manslaughter. Mark

[stocks]

Common Genetic Factors That Affect Autism Risk Have Been Identified


The first common genetic risk factor for autism spectrum disorder has been identified by a multi-center team of researchers that included Margaret Pericak-Vance, Ph.D., director of the Miami Institute for Human Genomics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

Dr. Pericak-Vance and her collaborator Jonathan Haines, Ph.D. at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, joined the results of their study with those of Hakon Hakonarson, Ph.D., from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The findings from the breakthrough study published online April 28 by the journal Nature may implicate a gene involved in forming the connections between brain cells.


http://www.medicalne...cles/148376.php

[stocks]

Doctors brace for a new wave of vaccine hysteria


Concern over the safety of childhood vaccines grew to a crescendo in the years following a study in the late 90s that claimed a link between autism and certain needles.

Subsequent studies proved those fears largely unfounded, and medical professionals were relieved that the science was able to quell most parents' fears.

Now, however, doctors are worried that Oprah Winfrey's tacit endorsement of one of vaccination's biggest critics will give rise to a new round of vaccine hysteria.

Pediatric associations in Canada and the United States are worried that the actress and former Playboy bunny, Jenny McCarthy, will use a new deal with Oprah to promote her emotionally resonant vaccine-skeptical views, despite the fact that they are not scientifically backed.

Ms. McCarthy suggests her son's autism was caused by the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine he received when he was 15 months old and she, along with boyfriend Jim Carrey, is a spokesperson for the "green our vaccines" campaign, which alleges there are toxins in childhood vaccines.

Ms. McCarthy announced what her publicist calls a "development relationship" with Oprah's company, Harpo, earlier this month. Her first gig in the deal is a Give it Up Before Summer blog on Oprah.com where Ms. McCarthy blogs about her daily battle to give up refined sugar.


http://www.nationalp...html?id=1606853

[nimblebear]

See Shattuck, Paul T., The Contribution of Diagnostic Substitution to the Growing Administrative Prevalence of Autism in US Special Education, PEDIATRICS Vol. 117 No. 4 April 2006, pp. 1028-1037 (doi:10.1542/peds.2005-1516).

Dr. Shattuck concluded that:

RESULTS. The average administrative prevalence of autism among children increased from 0.6 to 3.1 per 1000 from 1994 to 2003. By 2003, only 17 states had a special education prevalence of autism that was within the range of recent epidemiological estimates. During the same period, the prevalence of mental retardation and learning disabilities declined by 2.8 and 8.3 per 1000, respectively. Higher autism prevalence was significantly associated with corresponding declines in the prevalence of mental retardation and learning disabilities. The declining prevalence of mental retardation and learning disabilities from 1994 to 2003 represented a significant downward deflection in their preexisting trajectories of prevalence from 1984 to 1993. California was one of a handful of states that did not clearly follow this pattern.

Follow the money. You're going to get more diagnosis of autism if it's rewarded. Also, it's a lot nicer to tell parents that their child has autism rather than "your kid is retarded".

Mark

That is a terrible and disrespectful statement to make. My son is autistic, and obviously your total ignorance of what it really is, allows you to make an assinine comment like that. My son's IQ is well over 140, and even he at 12, is smart enough to know not to insult people like that. and you moderate me ? shame on you -

[OEXCHAOS]

See Shattuck, Paul T., The Contribution of Diagnostic Substitution to the Growing Administrative Prevalence of Autism in US Special Education, PEDIATRICS Vol. 117 No. 4 April 2006, pp. 1028-1037 (doi:10.1542/peds.2005-1516).

Dr. Shattuck concluded that:

RESULTS. The average administrative prevalence of autism among children increased from 0.6 to 3.1 per 1000 from 1994 to 2003. By 2003, only 17 states had a special education prevalence of autism that was within the range of recent epidemiological estimates. During the same period, the prevalence of mental retardation and learning disabilities declined by 2.8 and 8.3 per 1000, respectively. Higher autism prevalence was significantly associated with corresponding declines in the prevalence of mental retardation and learning disabilities. The declining prevalence of mental retardation and learning disabilities from 1994 to 2003 represented a significant downward deflection in their preexisting trajectories of prevalence from 1984 to 1993. California was one of a handful of states that did not clearly follow this pattern.

Follow the money. You're going to get more diagnosis of autism if it's rewarded. Also, it's a lot nicer to tell parents that their child has autism rather than "your kid is retarded".

Mark

That is a terrible and disrespectful statement to make. My son is autistic, and obviously your total ignorance of what it really is, allows you to make an assinine comment like that. My son's IQ is well over 140, and even he at 12, is smart enough to know not to insult people like that. and you moderate me ? shame on you -

So, you're telling me that there aren't a large number of developmentally disabled children diagnosed as autistic when in fact they lack cognitive ability? You're telling me that there's not more than one incentive to mis-diagnose non-autistic children as autistic?

Whom am I insulting?

I'll stand by my comments, because I'm a dyslexic who would probably have been mis-diagnosed today as ADD, and as such, I'm confident that my statement is in part accurate.

A careful reading of my comments will reveal that I make no comment about legitimately autistic children whatsoever. I can only presume your child as one and I am sorry for the difficulties you and he face. I'm not going to pretend that inflating the numbers of the allegedly autistic for whatever benefit isn't going on. I'm talking about what I believe to be an ugly truth. I think that serves us all well and says utterly NOTHING about your situation, your son, or legitimately autistic children. In fact, it rather honors them an shows my unwillingness to have their and your experience cheapened.

Mark