Censorship

Many autism parents have felt great frustration as the government seems to have little interest in pursuing why autism rates are rising rapidly, what causes autism, and what can be done to help those affected by autism. However, one Democratic congressman seems intent on making sure no one has access to information questioning potential connections to vaccines. Recently, U.S. Representative Adam B. Schiff from California sent open letters to the CEOs of Amazon, Facebook, and Google expressing his concern that these major Internet entities are promoting “products and content that discourage parents from vaccinating their children, a direct threat to public health.” [To read this letter, please click here.]

Describing these Internet sites as a “primary source of information” for many Americans, Congressman Schiff, indulging in hyperbole, urges these Internet companies to recognize their responsibility by not adding to this “growing public health catastrophe.” Apparently not trusting his constituents nor any other Americans to use critical judgment when seeking information online, Rep. Schiff wants to ensure any information contradicting the complete safety of vaccines is eliminated from Amazon and social media sites, including YouTube, Pinterest, and Instagram, as well as Facebook and Google. He worries that “even parents and guardians who seek out accurate information about vaccines could unwittingly reach pages and videos with misinformation” and be unable to make decisions for themselves regarding vaccine safety. By presenting only one side of the issue, he hopes to make all parents compliant in vaccinating their children.

Jumping on the pro-vaccine bandwagon, CNN business writer Jon Sarlin posted an online article, “Anti-vaccination conspiracy theories thrive on Amazon,” on February 27, 2019. [To read this article, please click here.] Like the congressman, the writer indicates concern for those who may not be able to think for themselves and wants to limit the information to only one point of view. He states, “But perhaps more disturbing from a public health and misinformation perspective, there were also books [on Amazon] that people simply searching for information––new parents, for instance––could mistake for something offering neutral information accepted by the public health community…” However, insisting upon banning books sets a dangerous precedent for our society.

Not surprisingly, when Amazon removed anti-vaccine documentaries from its streaming service, Amazon Prime Video, CNN gleefully reported this news and seemed to take part of the credit for this act of censorship. On March 1, 2019, Jon Sarlin wrote another article, “Anti-vaccine movies disappear from Amazon after CNN Business Report.” [To read this article, please click here.] While the reporter was pleased that Amazon had removed these videos, he expressed concern that Amazon continues to sell books offering an alternative position.

According to CNN, a Facebook spokesperson explained that they have “taken steps to reduce the distribution of health-related misinformation on Facebook, but we know we have more to do. We’re currently working with outside experts on additional changes that we’ll be announcing soon.” One wonders what constitutes “health-related misinformation” and what medical training these “outside experts” have. In a more decisive action to limit point of view, Pinterest announced a temporary ban to block all vaccine searches. Clearly, social media is acceding to the pressure put to bear by those who want only pro-vaccine perspective presented.

In another online article posted March 7, 2019, Wired describes changes Facebook will make. [To read this article, please click here.] In “Facebook Will Crack Down on Anti-Vaccine Content,” Louise Matsakis explains that Facebook has announced that they will no longer promote anti-vaccine information through ads or recommendations. Furthermore, they will make this topic less prominent in search results and news feeds, reducing the rankings of pages and groups that “spread misinformation about vaccines.” In addition, Facebook is examining ways to provide information from “expert organizations” regarding vaccines.  Similarly, Instagram will not recommend content or hashtag search results they deem as “vaccine misinformation.” This suppression of information should be worrisome to those who value critical thinking. As novelist George Orwell predicted, through government officials, the mainstream media, and social media that want to dictate what is “misinformation” and what is not, “Big Brother is watching you.”

To give Rep. Schiff his due, he probably has good intentions and believes that he is protecting those he deems not able to think for themselves. In his press release regarding his letters to the social media giants, he strongly asserts his faith in vaccines: “The scientific and medical communities are in overwhelming consensus that vaccines are both effective and safe. There is no evidence to suggest that vaccines cause life-threatening or disabling diseases, and the dissemination of unfounded and debunked theories about the dangers of vaccines pose [sic] a great risk to public health.”

However, Rep. Schiff apparently has not read the information on the government’s own Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website, or he would realize that evidence indicates the potential for vaccine harm. [To access this site, please click here.] Specifically, the MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) vaccine can cause “deafness, long-term seizures, coma, or lowered consciousness, and brain damage.” The Varicella (Chickenpox) vaccine can cause “infection of lungs (pneumonia) or the brain and spinal cord coverings (meningitis).” The DTaP (Diphtheria, Tetanus, and acellular Pertussis) vaccine can cause “non-stop crying, for 3 hours or more (up to about 1 child out of 1,000)”; “seizure (about 1 child out of 14,000)”; and ‘high fever, over 105 degrees F (about 1 child out of 16,000).” In addition, the CDC site warns of the potential side effects with any vaccine: “As with any medicine, there’s a very remote chance of a vaccine causing a serious injury or death.” Clearly, vaccines are not as safe as Rep. Schiff and the media would like everyone to believe. Parents should be aware of potential risks––no matter what they are––before they vaccinate their children.

One even wonders why the media wants to remove the alternative views. In the Wired article, the writer cited information in The Atlantic that noted the “majority of anti-vaccination content on Facebook appears to originate from only a handful of fringe sources.” While I question that assessment, if they believe this to be true, they should have nothing to fear from a few they deem as unreliable sources. Moreover, despite Rep. Schiff’s concerns that anti-vaccine information is leading to a “growing public health catastrophe,” there appears to be no evidence of this impact.

As Louise Matsakis notes in the Wired article, “It’s not yet clear whether the proliferation of anti-vaccination content online has led to a significant decrease in vaccination rates in the United States.” Specifically, she cites CDC data that shows that the number of children under the age of three who have received the first dose of the MMR vaccine “has remained steady for years.” If, indeed, those anti-vaccine views essentially have no effect, why must they be silenced?

Until a definitive cause has been established for autism, nothing should be ruled out completely. In order to make informed decisions, we must have all the information, not just what politicians and the media have determined that people in our free society can know. We must have access to many viewpoints without censorship and continue to seek the truth. As Jesus said in John 8:32, “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

“Then everyone who has eyes will be able to see the truth, and everyone who has ears will be able to hear it.” Isaiah 32:3

Protecting Babies from Autism

While the birth of a baby is certainly cause for celebration, as an autism mom, I find myself unsure of how much information I should share with new parents, hoping that their child will not struggle with autism, as mine has. Do I simply pray that their child will be blessed with health and spared from autism, or do I offer wisdom gained from our experience? Will they see my suggestions as helpful hints or nosy intrusions? If I remain silent about what I would have done differently, had I known when Alex was a baby, will I regret not being more assertive later? Can I spare another child from the difficulties my child has needlessly had to face? While autism still remains a mystery in many regards, research in recent years offers parents ways that may prevent their children from acquiring this condition.

In the article “Editorial: What Can Be Done to Prevent Autism Now?” published on the Autism Research Institute website, registered nurse Maureen McDonnell offers numerous suggestions to enhance the health of babies. [To read this article, please click here.] In addition to detailing ways mothers can improve their own health before and during pregnancy, she provides specific ways to help keep newborns and infants healthy. As she notes, “We don’t have all the answers. No one does. But let us consider the research that has already been done, the stories of improvement and recovery from parents who have traveled this difficult path, and let’s apply common-sense precautionary principles as we prepare for and enter motherhood. None of them can harm you or your baby.”

On the topic of vaccines, she advises parents to ask doctors to give only one vaccine at a time from single-dose vials instead of the more common practice of administering multiple vaccines from multiple-dose vials. In addition, she recommends that children who are ill—whether coming down with something, currently sick, or getting over an illness—should not receive vaccines. Moreover, children who are currently on antibiotics or have recently finished antibiotics should not be immunized. Essentially, vaccines should never be given to children who are sick or recovering from illness.

Furthermore, some children have ongoing health conditions or have inherited genetic predispositions that put them at risk for not responding well to vaccines, especially when multiple vaccines are given at once. Children whose parents have autoimmune conditions or allergies may have inherited these traits, putting them at risk for vaccine injury. Also, children who were born prematurely or who have ear infections repeatedly may have immune issues that make them vulnerable to vaccine damage. Consequently, if parents decide to have their babies immunized, they must determine potential risk factors, such as family health history as well as the child’s health history, before allowing their children to receive vaccines.

Another way to protect children is to avoid giving the commonly used pain reliever and fever reducer acetaminophen (brand name Tylenol), especially in conjunction with vaccines. While pediatricians often recommend giving acetaminophen to reduce pain and fever associated with vaccines, ibuprofen (brand name Motrin) is less likely to cause potentially harmful side effects.

In the article “Evidence That Increased Acetaminophen Use in Genetically Vulnerable Children Appears to be a Major Cause of the Epidemics of Autism, Attention Deficit with Hyperactivity, and Asthma” published on The Great Plains Laboratory, Inc. website, Dr. William Shaw explains in great detail how acetaminophen can damage the lungs, liver, and nervous systems of some children. [To read this article, please click here.] For his research, he notes that prior to the 1980’s, children were typically given aspirin for pain and fever. However, the appearance of Reye’s syndrome and Kawasaki disease in children and the potential link with aspirin made the use of acetaminophen rise dramatically. At the same time, rates of autism, asthma, and ADHD also increased significantly. However, countries, such as Cuba, where acetaminophen is rarely given, did not see epidemic growth in the number of children with these three conditions.

Through his research, Dr. Shaw discovered that acetaminophen produces toxins that can lead to “cellular damage and death,” “causes severe immune abnormalities,” and “depresses the immune response to vaccination.” Although he notes that more research needs to be done, he advises avoiding potential risks of toxicity by not giving children acetaminophen, especially in conjunction with vaccinations.

In addition to considering the risks of vaccines and acetaminophen, parents need to realize that they are their children’s primary advocates. In dealing with medical issues, parents may need to do their own research, which has been made much easier, thanks to the abundance of credible online resources. Additionally, parents must find doctors for their children who will listen to their concerns and not dismiss them as nervous parents. Parents should not allow themselves to be bullied by doctors, especially those who threaten to kick patients out of their medical practice for not following stringent vaccination schedules and policies. Trust in a doctor is good; blind faith is not.

A few days ago, my niece gave birth to her first child, my first great nephew. As we were chatting back and forth early one morning online, I debated whether I should warn her about potential dangers of autism. However, I would rather give advice now about potentially preventing autism than advice later about dealing with autism. Moreover, I knew she would understand my motives were only to protect her and her son. I typed, “One bit of advice: give him Motrin (ibuprofen) instead of Tylenol if he ever needs it for fever, especially after shots. Doctors won’t tell you, but there is a link between autism and Tylenol. I know why.” Her immediate response was a thank you along with a heart emoji. She understood. Now I will pray that God will watch over and keep her precious son healthy as He restores health to my precious son.

“We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about His power and His mighty wonders.” Psalm 78:4

Voting for Alex

 

The results of last week’s election in which Donald Trump was named the next President of the United States came as a shock to many people. As I discovered last week, I wasn’t the only autism parent quietly supporting the now President-elect. Just as others chose their candidates based upon issues of major concern to them, my primary focus in life is Alex. As a pro-Alex supporter, I wanted a President willing to address the issue of autism directly and one unafraid to question the role vaccines may play in autism. That candidate was Donald Trump.

In the CNN Republican Debate on September 16, 2015, Mr. Trump was asked about autism and his position on vaccines. He explained, “Autism has become an epidemic…Because you take a baby in, and I’ve seen it, and I had my children taken care of, over a long period of time, and over a two or three year period of time, same exact amount, but you take this little beautiful baby, and you pump­­––I mean, it looks just like it’s meant for a horse, not for a child, and we’ve had so many instances, people that work for me, just the other day, two-years-old, two-and-a-half-years-old, a child, a beautiful child went to have the vaccine, and came back, and a week later got a tremendous fever, got very, very sick, now is autistic…I’m in favor of vaccines; do them over a longer period of time, same amount, just in little sections. I think you’re going to have––I think you’re going to see a big impact on autism.”

Not only did Mr. Trump state without hesitation that there, indeed, is an autism epidemic, but he also firmly stood his ground on suggesting that the current vaccination schedule may be linked to autism. Moreover, he expressed concern for those families whose lives have been impacted by autism.

During that same debate, fellow Republican candidate and esteemed neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson noted, “We are probably giving way too many in too short a period of time.” As an admirer of Dr. Carson, I was pleased that he offered his trusted medical opinion as well as supporting Mr. Trump’s position regarding the need to revisit the current vaccine schedule.

Of course, the mainstream media had a field day, criticizing Mr. Trump and his comments regarding the potential link between vaccines and autism. For example, The Washington Post ran an article the day after the debate on September 17, 2015, entitled, “The origins of Donald Trump’s autism/vaccine theory and how it was completely debunked eons ago.” Similarly, the online magazine Slate posted an article on the same date with the title, “Donald Trump Uses GOP to Push Anti-Vaccination Myths.” Even CNN, the host of the debate, joined in the mocking on September 19, 2015, by posting an opinion piece on their online site written by a debate coach entitled, “Trump’s autism claim on vaccines is a disgrace.” While journalists jeered him, autism parents cheered him.

In contrast, his opponent Secretary Clinton made her stance on vaccines quite clear. In a Tweet by Hillary Clinton on February 2, 2015, this position is presented: “The science is clear: The earth is round, the sky is blue, and #vaccineswork. Let’s protect all our kids.” #GrandmothersKnowBest.” Comparing those who question vaccine safety to those who believe the earth is flat is nearly as demeaning as deeming Trump supporters as “deplorables.”

What was especially important to me is that Mr. Trump has not swayed in his concerns regarding the potential link between autism and vaccines over time. On December 29, 2007, long before he was a political candidate, autism mom Kim Stagliano praises him in her Age of Autism online article titled, “Brilliant Trump Revises Vaccine Schedule for His Son.”

In the article, Mr. Trump is quoted in an interview with Palm Beach Politics: “When I was growing up, autism wasn’t really a factor,” Trump said. “And now all of a sudden, it’s an epidemic. Everybody has their theory. My theory, and I study it because I have young children, my theory is the shots. We’ve been giving these massive injections at one time, and I really think it does something to the children.”

He went on to say, “When a little baby that weighs 20 pounds and 30 pounds gets pumped with 10 and 20 shots at one time, with one injection that’s a giant injection, I personally think that has something to do with it.”

Furthermore, he explains how he and his wife decided to handle vaccines with their own son, “What we’ve done with Baron, we’ve taken him on a very slow process. He gets one shot at a time then we wait a few months and give him another shot, the old-fashioned way. But today they pump the children with so much at a very young age. We do it on a very, very conservative level.”

To me, this says that Donald Trump is bold enough to question the establishment, especially when his child’s well-being is at stake. Moreover, he clearly has compassion for those families who have been affected by autism and is willing to look into potential causes.

President-elect Trump, many autism parents supported you because you unwaveringly expressed the concerns we have long held. You have the opportunity to change the course of the autism epidemic by launching investigations into how the current vaccine schedule affects children. We’re counting on you to “Make America Great Again” by helping us find ways to make our children healthy again and to prevent other children from having to struggle with autism. Please don’t let us down.

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Luke 12:34

I Don't Know What Causes Autism

 

This week, Huffington Post featured a heartfelt blog entry written by autism mom Carrie Cariello entitled “I Know What Causes Autism.” [To read this essay, please click here.] With all the uproar regarding the recent outbreaks of measles at Disneyland and a Chicago area day care center, this essay has garnered quite a bit of attention because she addresses the controversy of vaccines and autism. To summarize, after she lists several potential causes of autism proposed over the years, she dismisses all of them “for now,” proclaiming that her son’s autism is genetic: “So, for now, I’m going to believe that Jack’s autism is because of DNA and RNA and heredity.” Furthermore, she asserts, “He’s exactly the way he’s supposed to be.” As she explains, “If I start running around declaring autism an epidemic and screeching about how we need to find out where it’s coming from and who started it and how to cure it, well, that sort of contradicts the whole message of acceptance and tolerance and open-mindedness.” Although I appreciate her candor in explaining her opinion regarding the cause of autism, I must respectfully disagree.

Maybe it’s because I’ve been an autism mom more than twice as long as she has.

Maybe it’s because we have watched Alex struggle with puberty and hormonal changes, something she probably hasn’t yet experienced with her son.

Maybe it’s because I’ve had more time to research and compare notes with other parents whose lives parallel ours.

Maybe it’s because we’ve run tests that have diagnosed mercury and aluminum poisoning and know that both of those toxic metals exist in vaccinations.

Maybe it’s because I know that you can love the child unconditionally but hate the disability passionately yet still be accepting and tolerant.

Maybe its because I don’t believe that Alex is exactly the way he’s supposed to be. I believe that autism has robbed him of things typical people his age enjoy, and I intend to do everything in my power to make sure he will not always be denied those opportunities.

On Friday, the discussion of the measles outbreaks arose among a group of my colleagues. One sympathetic friend noted how awful it was for those tiny babies to have the measles and how miserable they must be. I thought of how awful it is for children with autism who, unlike the vast majority of children with measles, don’t get better after a few days. Our oldest and wisest colleague noted that he had been immunized against both measles and mumps, but still got both diseases as an adult and questioned the effectiveness of vaccines. The youngest colleague, who is cocksure about everything, claimed that he had read “all twelve of the case studies,” and was certain that vaccines don’t cause autism. Although I was torn between wanting to slug him or to enlighten him on the autism research I’ve been doing for twenty years, I decided that either would be a waste of time and energy because he had already made up his mind, and I left the room.

Immediately following me was my colleague/close friend/confidante who knows my story well and who knew that I had left without a word after deciding that “Discretion is the better part of valor.” As the mother of two small children, she has struggled with the issues of vaccine safety herself, wondering and worrying if she is doing the right thing, and I have supported her decisions, just as she has supported mine. For the record, Alex received all of his childhood immunizations on time according to the CDC schedule because at that time little was known about possible links between autism and vaccines and because I believed that was the right thing to do at the time. Although I don’t know for certain that vaccines caused autism in Alex, I certainly believe they were a contributing factor for him. Consequently, I understand the dilemma parents face in deciding whether or not to vaccinate their children.

As my beloved friend and I discussed the issues of immunization rationally and respectfully, we came to the same conclusion that as mothers we want what’s best for our children and pray that we make the right decisions. As she wisely pointed out, we will love our children no matter what problems we face. However, we know that life is hard, and we don’t want our children’s lives to be harder than they need to be. Therein lies the crux of my drive to find out what causes autism and why I can’t be satisfied until I know the answer: I don’t want life to be harder than necessary for Alex.

If we can find the cause of autism, then maybe we can find effective treatments and potential cures. I want people to be as outraged about the autism epidemic as they clearly are about the measles epidemic so that they will work harder and faster to help those affected by autism. Moreover, I don’t believe that this is how God intended Alex to be; I believe that Alex is meant to be healthy and to live an abundant life. Accepting what is instead of seeking what can be feels wrong to me, and I have hope that Alex will overcome autism one day. Until then, I’ll keep searching for the cause of autism so that Alex and others like him can be healed and so that other families don’t have to worry that their children will face the struggles those children with autism have endured. Unlike fellow autism mom Carrie Cariello, I don’t know what causes autism, and that frustrating uncertainty mightily motivates me to keep looking for an answer.

“Lead me by Your truth and teach me, for You are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in You.” Psalm 25:5

Forgoing Flu Shots

 

This fall, the urgency to get a flu shot seems greater than any other year in recent memory. Television and magazine ads stress not only how the shots protect against illness, but also how a new version offers a smaller needle, personified by a talking hedgehog who gets a haircut to show just how small that needle is. Besides doctors’ offices and health care facilities, pharmacies, discount stores, and grocery stores offer convenient opportunities for patients/shoppers to get vaccinated. Nearly every time I use the automated phone service to refill our prescriptions, I must listen to the pharmacy’s ad recommending that people get a flu shot now, followed by the times these shots are available at their stores.  

In dealing with Alex’s persistent case of thrush and cheilitis, or yeast overgrowth in and around his mouth, we have taken him to five different doctors or nurse practitioners in the past few months. In addition, he has had blood tests three times. Almost every time we have taken him for medical treatment or testing, we have been asked if he has had a flu shot this season. When we have said no, the health care provider has asked us if we would like for her to give him a shot, and every time we have said no. I then quickly and vaguely explain that he doesn’t do well with the preservative in flu shots, which usually ends the discussion. At his family doctor, I had to sign a form that we refused the flu shot and provide a reason in writing. Despite my desire to teach the staff with a more detailed explanation as to why flu shots are not a good idea for Alex, I simply wrote that he has adverse reactions to preservatives found in flu shots.

When I was younger, I was a proponent of flu shots. As a middle school teacher, I’m constantly exposed to various illnesses from my contact with students who may come to school ill or carrying germs prior to showing symptoms of illness. In addition, my internist recommended that I receive a flu shot annually because of the effect viruses can have on my chronic autoimmune condition, idiopathic thrombocytopenia. Basically, a virus can send my immune system into overdrive, causing my spleen to destroy healthy blood platelets, which are necessary for blood clotting. Since I already tend to have a low platelet count, the effects of a virus can potentially put me at risk for bleeding. Following my doctor’s advice, I would annually get vaccinated against flu. However, in those days, flu shots were not available on every corner, and I would constantly search the local newspaper every fall to see when and where flu shots would be given. One year, a limited supply of the vaccine allowed only the elderly and chronically ill to be eligible for flu vaccines, which meant that as a relatively healthy young adult, I didn’t qualify to receive a flu shot. Perhaps coincidentally or through blessings from God, that year I never became sick at all—no flu, no cold, nothing. In some years when I had gotten the flu shot, I still came down with flu, a possibility always mentioned when flu shots are given. After the year I stayed healthy despite not having a flu shot, I decided that I wouldn’t get flu shots any more, and I believe that I am healthier each winter than I was the years I received flu shots. For me, I suspect that not tampering with my body’s overly sensitive immune response enables my antibodies to react more appropriately when a virus or flu activates them.

For Alex, I have a different reason for refusing flu shots for him. When he was eleven years old, I asked his doctor if we could have him tested for heavy metals after I had read that many children with autism carry toxic loads of various heavy metals because their bodies have difficulty removing them in the detoxification process. Although she didn’t think he probably had heavy metal poisoning, she understood my concerns and agreed to run a heavy metals urine challenge test, which required that I collect his urine over several hours. When the results came back, she and we were surprised to discover that Alex had toxic levels of arsenic, lead, mercury, and aluminum. In fact, his arsenic levels were the highest she had ever seen. To remove the heavy metals, Alex had to go through chelation therapy by taking DMSA pills, a sulfur-based compound that binds with the heavy metals and removes them from the body through the urinary and digestive tracts. This process took over two years before testing showed that his heavy metals levels were in the normal range. While we don’t know the original sources of all the toxins, we suspect that thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative used in vaccinations, likely contributed to his mercury poisoning.

Even though most people in the medical community argue that thimerosal has no connection to autism, this mercury-based preservative was removed in 2001 from most vaccines children receive. However, many flu vaccines still contain thimerosal unless they are single-dose vials or syringes since thimerosal is supposed to protect multi-dose vials from contamination by bacterial or fungal growth. [I confirmed this information on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website. To go to their website on flu vaccine safety, click here.] One year when a particularly virulent strain of flu was infecting children, I asked Alex’s doctor if he should get a flu shot to protect him. She was adamant that he not receive the vaccine because of the effects of the thimerosal on him. In addition, she did not want him to have the nasal version that does not contain thimerosal because she felt the live vaccine it contains was not good for him, either. Instead, she assured me that prevention, such as washing hands and making sure he had proper nutrition and plenty of rest, would likely prevent his getting flu in the first place. If he did get the flu, she would treat him with antivirals and boost his immune system so that his body could fight the virus without the vaccine. I trusted her judgment, and Alex stayed healthy that year. Since then, I have never even considered having Alex get a flu shot, remembering her medical advice and praying God would keep him well. Thankfully, this approach has worked well, and Alex rarely gets sick. Moreover, we have limited his exposure to mercury, a known neurotoxin, which his nervous system certainly does not need.

Despite the CDC’s dire warnings of the dangers of flu, stating, “Influenza is a serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and sometimes even death,” we will not be getting flu shots this year. Even the CDC admits that the vaccine’s effectiveness depends on many factors: “How well the flu vaccine works (or its ability to prevent influenza illness) can range widely from season to season and also can vary depending on who is being vaccinated.” Certainly, I respect the decision of others to get vaccinated against the flu, but with no guarantees that that shot actually prevents flu and with the added potential dangers of thimerosal, I’m not willing to take that risk for Alex or myself. In the meantime, we follow the best advice my internist ever gave me for good health: “Plenty of rest, proper nutrition, and lots of prayer.” This sounds like a good plan to me.

“Lord, your discipline is good, for it leads to life and health. You restore my health and allow me to live!” Isaiah 38:16

Dr. Oz

This week on The Dr. Oz Show, one of the topics was “What Causes Autism: The Debate,” which, of course, caught my interest enough to watch. For this show, half of the audience included parents of children diagnosed with autism, and the other half were parents who were concerned that their children may have autism but had not yet been diagnosed. His guests were a panel of six pediatricians who appeared to be there only in case they were needed to break a tie vote; pediatrician and pro-vaccine author Dr. Ari Brown; Dr. Bob Sears, who treats many children with autism; Irva Hertz-Picciotto, a Ph.D. in public health services who has studied environmental issues with autism; and Alison Singer, a parent of a child with autism who has worked for two major autism organizations. With the exception of Drs. Sears and Hertz-Picciotto and one dissident doctor sitting among the lab coat panel of six, Dr. Michael Gabriel, the deck seemed to be stacked in the pro-vaccine camp, who clearly outnumbered these experts. Since the first topic of potential causes was the role of vaccines in autism—a hotly debated topic—the pro-vaccine experts cited scientific studies that show there is no link between autism and vaccines. However, they failed to mention that most of these studies were funded by the pharmaceutical industry, the manufacturers of vaccines who stand to lose millions of dollars should their research show any other results. The pro-vaccine doctors described the dangers of diseases that immunizations prevent and the importance of “herd immunity,” making the majority of the community immune to disease to protect those who are not. The choice of the term “herd” is a rather unfortunate one, comparing children to cattle, but perhaps this blind following describes what is really happening. On the other side, Dr. Sears did not advocate forgoing immunizations; he simply suggested a safer schedule that spread out the vaccines so that children were not receiving as many at a time. Even Dr. Oz admitted that he had used this staggered schedule with his own children’s vaccinations.

The second possible cause of autism discussed on the show was environment, including diet, chemicals, medications, and even proximity of living near freeways. Dr. Hertz-Picciotto pointed out that the environmental causes are not just one source, but many, many causes—“a minefield,” as she described it. In addition, she clarified that environmental causes are defined as anything not genetic. I wish the camera had shown the reaction of the pro-vaccine doctors at that point since many who believe that vaccines are not the cause are strong proponents that autism is genetic, which is essentially a new way of blaming the parents. Similarly, the third issue dealt with the age of parents as a potential cause of autism: some studies have indicated the older the parents, the more likely the incidence of having children with autism. Considering how challenging dealing with autism is, maturity of parents is probably a blessing in disguise. When Alex was diagnosed with autism, I was in my early thirties and had gained some wisdom and patience I did not have in my twenties, both of which I needed to deal with the challenges we faced. Dr. Oz summarized the discussions of autism, saying that it is “a national crisis,” and he went on to compare children with autism to “canaries in the coal mine,” suggesting that children with autism reflect the problems of our world, such as pollution. He then stated, “We see it first in them [children with autism].” I totally agree with Dr. Oz on both points: autism IS a national crisis with 1 in 110 children being diagnosed, including 1 in 70 boys, where the incidence is much higher than girls, and these children are the canaries in the coal mine who have a vulnerability to something that affects their neurological systems. Certainly, the causes likely vary from child to child, but with Alex, we know from medical tests that he had mercury, lead, arsenic, and aluminum poisoning that had to be treated. His body clearly cannot detoxify itself properly, and the mercury and aluminum present in the childhood vaccinations he received were harmful to his developing brain and nervous system. Moreover, we know from food allergy tests that he has sensitivities to the food proteins glutens and caseins; therefore, placing him on a strict diet eliminating glutens and caseins has prevented him from having digestive problems that many children with autism face.

Although environment has played a major role in Alex’s autism, I think that genetics have played some part, as well. Studies have shown that mothers with autoimmune disorders often have children with autism. In a sense, we, too, are canaries in the mine, and I suspect that autism itself is an autoimmune condition in which the immune system, taxed by environmental stressors, attacks the digestive and nervous system. My autism mom friends have dealt with their own autoimmune issues from MS to endometriosis to allergies, and I was diagnosed with two autoimmune conditions of my own. When I was pregnant with Alex, my doctors discovered I have chronic ITP, or idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, a blood disorder in which hormones cause my spleen to destroy healthy blood platelets, putting me at risk of bleeding. A few years later, I was diagnosed with the autoimmune condition chronic thyroiditis and had most of my thyroid surgically removed. Thankfully, neither of these conditions affects my daily life anymore, other than I keep an eye on my platelet count and have to take thyroid medication for the rest of my life to regulate my metabolism. Generally, Alex and I are both very healthy and rarely get sick; however, we probably are canaries in the mine whose bodies react to environmental toxins by attacking themselves. In the conclusion of the autism segment, Dr. Oz described autism as “a neurological disorder that robs a child of an emotional foundation.” In my opinion, Dr. Oz really misunderstands autism if he believes that. Other autism moms and I have been comparing notes on that statement and believe that our children not only possess an emotional foundation but actually have stronger emotions than typical people do. We feel that our children retract from overwhelming situations or overreact when they are placed in circumstances that jolt their sensitive nervous systems. I know that Alex frets over my health and gets upset if he sees me crying; he cares but doesn’t always know how to express his emotions because his own nerves are so jangled he doesn’t know what he’s feeling. While I don’t think Dr. Oz’s show solved the mysteries of autism, I hope and pray that greater awareness and a more concerted effort not only to find the cause but also the cure for autism will benefit thousands of children so that they and their families can enjoy life to the fullest. I look forward to that day with great anticipation and know for certain that God can bring that to pass.

“O Lord, You alone can heal me; You alone can save. My praises are for You alone!” Jeremiah 17:14