Autism & Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Causative Factors, Early Detection, and Interventions:
Notes and References

A CBC Ideas Feature on Autism Spectrum Disorder

Leo Kanner (1943) first described what we now call autism in a paper entitled Autistic Disturbances of Affective Contact (Nervous Child 2. 1943:217-250). Kanner identified a pattern of behaviors he observed among a group of children in his practice, and his work remains an instructive overview of autistic symptoms. Only recently has autism been understood as the core of a spectrum disorder, a group of disorders with similar features. Autism is now recognized in one out of 150 children. Genetic components and environmental triggers have become the focus of investigation, as have epigenetic influences — factors affecting gene expression. The following CBC Ideas feature provides an overview of this complex disorder, with interviews and personal stories.

Source:
The Dark End Of The Spectrum
CBC Radio, Ideas, with host Paul Kennedy.
Episode 1 aired on 24 July 2009; episode 2 aired on 31 July 2009.
The Ideas Dark End Of The Spectrum page also provides a very useful book list and online resources.

For parents of autistic children, the realization often comes slowly. A worry, a pang, a sinking feeling when trying to play with the new baby, who seems - uninterested, even unreachable.

What could be wrong? If it is, in fact, autism, it is not the end, but the beginning of a journey.

First seen as a medical oddity, the story of autism is both fascinating and troubling. Autism was first described and named in the 1940s, in the heyday of psychoanalysis. Brilliant and charismatic doctors concluded the disorder was caused by nurture – not nature. In short, it was the parents' fault. They were branded with the heartless label: "refrigerator mothers."

Bernice Landry explores how our understanding of autism has taken an about-face in recent years. Scientists and an army of activist parents are beginning to make up for lost time, to shine new light on the darkest secrets of our genes.

In episode 2 we hear the story of Darius McCollum, a serial impersonator whose obsession with trains has lead him to spend much of his life in jail. Darius has been diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome, a version of autism.

1. Lack of Association between Measles Virus Vaccine and Autism with Enteropathy:
   A Case-Control Study
   Hornig M, Briese T, Buie T, Bauman ML, Lauwers G, et al.,
   PLoS ONE 3(9): e3140. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0003140 (4.09.08)
   

   Conclusions/Significance
   This study provides strong evidence against association of autism with persistent MV RNA in the GI tract or MMR exposure. Autism with GI disturbances is associated with elevated rates of regression in language or other skills and may represent an endophenotype distinct from other ASD.

   Study: No link between measles vaccine and autism CNN (3.09.08)

   [...] But the Autism Society of America cautioned that the cause of autism is complex and more research is needed to fully understand the role, if any, of the vaccine.

   Another autism advocacy group, the National Autism Association (NAA), said the study is flawed.

   "This new study does nothing to resolve the controversy whether MMR vaccine has contributed to the autism epidemic," said a press release from the group.

   Wendy Fournier, an NAA spokeswoman, told CNN Thursday that the new study raises more questions than answers and should have looked at more children who developed autism and GI problems after they received the vaccine.

   Only 5 children in the Columbia study were vaccinated before they developed GI symptoms and autism.

   According to the CDC, measles is a highly infectious disease that can result in severe, sometimes permanent, complications -- even death. Measles remains widespread in most countries, but widespread vaccination has limited its spread in the United States.

   Some parents, familiar with the Wakefield theory's putative link between vaccine and autism, have chosen not to vaccinate their children. Last month, the CDC reported 131 cases of measles in the United States in the first seven months of the year, of which 112 were either among unvaccinated children or children whose vaccination status was unknown [...]

2. Wakefield, Brian Deer's allegations, the BMJ, and vaccinations

   • Ileal-lymphoid-nodular hyperplasia, non-specific colitis, and pervasive developmental disorder in children
     Science Museum,
     AJ Wakefield, et al.
     The Lancet 351;9103:637-641 (28.02.1998)
   • Response to Baird G. et al. Measles vaccination and antibody response in autism spectrum disorders. Archives of Disease in Childhood. Published 5th February 2008.
     Opalwhale04, ff. Forum, AutismSpeaks.org (11.02.08)
   • The MMR-autism crisis - our story so far
     
     1. Brian Deer: the Wakefield factor (Part 1)

        In February 1998, the Lancet medical journal triggered a global alarm with research proposing a link between the measles, mumps and rubella triple vaccine and autism. The researchers' leader, Andrew Wakefield called for the vaccine to be "suspended". Six years later, Brian Deer investigated for The Sunday Times of London and Channel 4 television.

     2. Brian Deer: the Lancet scandal (Part 2)
     3. Wakefield accused of scientific fraud at US test cases of MMR-autism allegations., briandeer.com
     4. An Elaborate Fraud, Part 1: In Which a Murdoch Reporter Deceives the Mother of a Severely Autistic Child
        Dan Olmsted, Age of Autism (18 July 2011)
        

        On January 5, 2011, the British Medical Journal accused Dr. Andrew Wakefield of committing "an elaborate fraud" in the controversial 1998 Lancet report about 12 children who developed bowel disease and regressed after receiving the MMR shot. The cover article by journalist Brian Deer focused on "the bogus data behind claims that launched a worldwide scare over the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine."

        Deer identified and interviewed parents of some of the children in the anonymous Lancet case series, describing what he said were significant disparities. "I traveled to the family home, 80 miles northeast of London, to hear about child 2 from his mother," Deer wrote of one interview. The child had severe autism and gut problems that she blamed on the MMR.

        What Deer did not say in the BMJ article is that he had lied to the mother about his identity, claiming to be someone named "Brian Lawrence" (his middle name). Deer had written a number of critical articles about parents' claims of vaccine injury, and if he gave his real name, he doubtless feared, Child 2's mother would not agree to talk to him. Once she checked his blog, she would be more likely to kick him out of the family home than sit still for what turned into a six-hour inquisition.

        He even created a fake e-mail address for his fake identity, and he used it to communicate with her: lawrence_b_st@yahoo.com.

        Why did the highly respected British Medical Journal sanction such deceit involving the mother of a child who, whatever the cause, was severely disabled? When the interview took place in November 2003, more than seven years before the BMJ article, Deer was not working for the journal. He was on assignment for The Sunday Times of London.

        The Sunday Times is owned by Rupert Murdoch, part of the News International division that has come under a Watergate-size cloud in England for its newsgathering tactics – fraudulently obtaining confidential information, bribing police, hacking 9,000 phone numbers, gaining access to bank accounts, and using large financial settlements to keep some victims quiet.

        The BMJ article, titled "How the Case Against the MMR Vaccine Was Fixed," has its roots in the Sunday Times. It is remarkably similar to one Deer wrote for the Sunday Times two years earlier, in February 2009. That article was titled MMR Doctor Andrew Wakefield Fixed Data on Autism and it cited much the same data and mentioned many of the same people featured in the BMJ article.

        The BMJ imprimatur gave Deer – as well as the British Medical Association, which publishes the journal -- a "peer-reviewed" platform from which the story was broadcast far and wide, as conclusive proof of fraud. The BMJ dressed up its presentation with footnotes, charts, editorials, commentary and what it called "editorial checking."

        But clearly, the crux of the article came from reporting Deer did while affiliated with the Sunday Times. Along with evidence presented at a General Medical Council hearing, Deer wrote in the Sunday Times, he relied on "unprecedented access to medical records, a mass of confidential documents and cooperation from parents during an investigation by this newspaper." His work, he said, exposed the "selective reporting and changes to findings that allowed a link between MMR and autism to be asserted."

        Deer did not identify Child 2 or his mother in either the Sunday Times or the BMJ – he didn't need to. He had posted their names on his blog (subsequently removed); what's more, the names were known because the mother had spoken out on the researchers' behalf and was a claimant in a failed legal case over the vaccine. (Deer has said any allegation he "placed confidential information on my website" is false.)

        False pretenses and confidentiality aside, the BMJ's ethics code bars the use of anyone's medical information without written permission -- even when the subject is anonymous.

        "Any article that contains personal medical information about an identifiable living individual requires the patient's explicit consent before we can publish it," according to the policy (italics in original).  "We will need the patient to sign our consent form, which requires the patient to have read the article."

        If she had done so, the journal would have gotten an earful about  "Brian Lawrence," Brian Deer and her subsequent dealings with the Sunday Times. That is the subject of our next article.

        Dan Olmsted is Editor of Age of Autism, and co-author, with Mark Blaxill, of The Age of Autism – Mercury, Medicine, and a Man-Made Epidemic, to be published in paperback in September by Thomas Dunne Books.

        Dr. Andrew Wakefield at Brandeis University
        (Wednesday, 13 April 2011) from Age of Autism on Vimeo.

     5. Source: Vaccines and Autism – What Do Epidemiological Studies Really Tell Us?
        Coalition for SAFEMINDS. Retrieved from Age of Autism (18.07.11).

        "We have 16 studies already that clearly state that vaccines do not cause autism."
        — Amy Pisani, Executive Director, Every Child By Two

        "16 studies have shown no causal association between vaccines and autism, and these studies carry weight in the scientific industry."
        — Dr. Nancy Snyderman, NBC Today Show Medical Editor

        "The science is largely complete. Ten epidemiological studies have shown MMR vaccine doesn't cause autism; six have shown thimerosal doesn't cause autism."
        — Dr. Paul Offit, "Autism's False Prophets"

        ----------------------------
        A NOTE FROM SAFEMINDS:

        There are 16 epidemiological studies here on MMR vaccines, thimerosal and autism. These studies represent the most often cited papers by scientists, public health officials and members of the media when trying to refute any evidence of an association between vaccinations and autism.

        There are serious methodological limitations, design flaws, conflicts of interest or other problems related to each of these 16 studies. These flaws have been pointed out by government officials, other researchers, medical review panels and even the authors of the studies themselves. Taken together, the limitations of these studies make it impossible to conclude that thimerosal and MMR vaccines are not associated with autism.

        SafeMinds would like to acknowledge the previous work in this regard gathered by the Fourteen Studies" project at Generation Rescue.

        One additional study on autism and thimerosal was published in September 201[0] while this paper was in completed draft form. This study's methods produced a result that demonstrated that thimerosal exposure was protective against autism. Further analysis of this study is forthcoming but not included here.

        PART 1: MAJOR GAPS IN KNOWLEDGE

        Conventional wisdom holds that the autism-vaccine question has been "asked and answered," and that at least 16 large, epidemiological studies have thoroughly addressed and debunked any hypothesis that childhood vaccination is associated with an increased risk of autism spectrum disorder.

        But there are numerous critical flaws in such an oversimplified generalization, and they are rarely given close examination by public health experts or members of the media. It is particularly discouraging that members of the scientific community are so willing to dismiss a hypothesis that has yet to be fully tested. Overconfident pronouncements such as those found in the quotes above do nothing to advance either the cause of science or our understanding of the complex issues involved. They are, instead, the product of misunderstanding and wishful thinking, brought about by the overzealous drive to ‘disprove' an unpopular and possibly disquieting theory.

        Respected medical opinion-makers such as Dr. Snyderman and Dr. Offit mislead the public when they categorically state that there is "no link" between vaccines and autism. Their misguided conclusions are based on incomplete knowledge and misinterpretations, and likely to be influenced by personal and professional conflicts of interest; conflicts illustrated by their intimate and lucrative financial bonds with GlaxoSmithKline (Snyderman) and Merck (Offit), - two of the world's leading vaccine manufacturers. There is a host of reasons why the cavalier dismissal, by scientists and physicians, of any possible vaccine-autism association is premature, shortsighted, and wrong. But first, some clarification about terminology. Frequently, a counter-claim to those made by the likes of Snyderman and Offit is that ‘epidemiological' studies cannot be used to establish or refute, causality.

        In the following analysis, we review and critique the analytical epidemiology studies most commonly cited as evidence against the "autism-vaccine" hypothesis. We must make clear at the outset, however, that this critique addresses only a fraction of the "autism-vaccine" connection. In fact, the studies reviewed here have explored only two discrete (and frequently confused) exposures: one vaccine, the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine (MMR) and one vaccine ingredient, the ethyl mercury based preservative, thimerosal. None of these studies have addressed possible interactions between the two exposures or the effect of these exposures in the larger context of an expanded childhood immunization program. No study has yet been conducted comparing total health outcomes in vaccinated human children with unvaccinated children. As a result, the gap between the study sample reviewed here and a full examination of vaccination exposure and autism risk is remains quite large and largely unexamined.

        However, with respect the body of analytical epidemiology on MMR and thimerosal, we draw the following conclusion. The evidence in the studies that are most often claimed to provide conclusive proof dismissing a connection between these exposure and autism do not stand up to close scrutiny. Many of them do not provide evidence one way or another with respect to the hypothesis; some of them provide evidence actually supporting an exposure effect; others are too poorly designed to extract any reasonable conclusions; and in some instance the data have been manipulated in ways that border on misconduct.

        In short, although the question of the connection between autism and vaccines has been asked, we have yet to see any reliable and informative answers. [...]

     6. Source: We don't know enough about childhood vaccines: Researcher asks: Are 36 doses of vaccine by age 2 too much, too little, or just right?
        Margaret Dunkle Baltimore Sun (11 July 2011).
        Margaret Dunkle is senior research scientist at the Department of Health Policy at George Washington University and director of the Early Identification and Intervention Collaborative for Los Angeles County. She also has a family member who is vaccine-injured.

        The topics of vaccines and vaccine safety spark emotional outbursts at scientific meetings and family dinner tables alike. But many of these debates are remarkably fact-free. Surprisingly few people — not just concerned parents but also doctors, policymakers and even immunization experts — can answer this seemingly simple question: How many immunizations does the federal government recommend for every child during the first two years of life?

        The answer is important because most states, including Maryland, faithfully follow the recommendations of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, codifying CDC guidelines into requirements for children to enroll in school, kindergarten, preschool and child care.

        A new Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health study reports that the higher the proportion of infants and toddlers receiving recommended vaccines, the higher the state's rate of children diagnosed with autism or speech-language problems just a few years later. This analysis is sure to rekindle the debate about vaccine safety.

        For that conversation to produce useful results, we must start by defining terms. A "dose of vaccine" refers to each vaccine or antigen given to increase immunity against one specific disease. For chicken pox, a child receives one dose of vaccine through one shot.

        By contrast, an "immunization event" refers to each separate administration of a vaccine or bundle of vaccines — through a shot, orally, or nasally. The MMR shot for mumps, measles and rubella involves three doses of vaccine but is one immunization event.

        The critical number is how many doses of vaccine a child receives. Why? If a vaccine is strong enough to confer immunity against a disease, it is important enough to count separately.

        Clear definitions, analysis of CDC's "General Recommendations on Immunization," and confirmation by Dr. Andrew Kroger, lead author of the definitive report on these recommendations, produce the answer to the not-so-simple-after-all question posed above.

        In all, the federal government recommends 36 doses of vaccine, addressing 14 different diseases, for every U.S. child under age 2. An on-schedule child will receive a dose of vaccine for hepatitis B at birth, eight doses of various vaccines at 2 months, seven additional doses at 4 months, and four to seven more doses at 6 months.

        Infants and toddlers receive these vaccine doses through 26 separate immunization events — mostly shots. If a child misses vaccinations because of illness or scheduling problems, following CDC's catch-up schedule usually results in extra doses at a later date.

        The federally recommended doses of vaccine for every child during the first two years of life are: three doses each for hepatitis B, polio, flu, and HIB (12 doses in all); two doses each for hepatitis A and rotavirus; four doses for pneumococcal infections; one dose for chicken pox; three doses through the combination MMR vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella; and 12 doses through four separate administrations of the combination DTaP vaccine for diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (whooping cough).

        Some infants and toddlers receive still more doses of vaccine — if they switch to pediatricians who use different "combined" vaccines, if they are at high risk for certain diseases, if lost or incomplete records lead to duplicate immunizations, and depending on the time of year they were born (for flu shots) or the brand of vaccine used.

        While testing is routine for individual vaccines as they are licensed, research on the both short- and long-term effects of multiple doses of vaccine administered to very young children during the critical birth-to-2 developmental window is sparse to nonexistent.

        In addition to the number of doses, vaccine ingredients can be problematic, especially for susceptible subgroups. First are adjuvants, substances added to boost effectiveness and allow smaller doses of vaccine antigen to be used. The most common adjuvant is aluminum, which is found in vaccines for hepatitis and diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus.

        Second are preservatives — such as thimerosal, which is 49.6 percent mercury. Thimerosal is still contained in many flu shots, although it was, except for trace amounts, removed from other child vaccines a decade ago. Many child vaccines (including those for diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus, HIB, and hepatitis) contain formaldehyde, which was just added to the government's list of known human carcinogens.

        Third are ingredients to which some people have severe allergies: stabilizers such as gelatin, and eggs or other proteins that are used to prepare vaccines for flu, MMR, and other immunizations.

        The ongoing debate about vaccines and their safety needs to incorporate these basic facts as our country seeks to answer the critical Goldilocks question: Too many? Too few? Or just right?

3. Thimerosal exposure in infants and neurodevelopmental disorders: An assessment of computerized medical records in the Vaccine Safety Datalink.
   Young HA, Geier DA, Geier MR.
   The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, United States.
   J Neurol Sci. (14.05.08)

   The study evaluated possible associations between neurodevelopmental disorders (NDs) and exposure to mercury (Hg) from Thimerosal-containing vaccines (TCVs) by examining the automated Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD). A total of 278,624 subjects were identified in birth cohorts from 1990-1996 that had received their first oral polio vaccination by 3 months of age in the VSD. The birth cohort prevalence rate of medically diagnosed International Classification of Disease, 9th revision (ICD-9) specific NDs and control outcomes were calculated. Exposures to Hg from TCVs were calculated by birth cohort for specific exposure windows from birth-7 months and birth-13 months of age. Poisson regression analysis was used to model the association between the prevalence of outcomes and Hg doses from TCVs. Consistent significantly increased rate ratios were observed for autism, autism spectrum disorders, tics, attention deficit disorder, and emotional disturbances with Hg exposure from TCVs. By contrast, none of the control outcomes had significantly increased rate ratios with Hg exposure from TCVs. Routine childhood vaccination should be continued to help reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with infectious diseases, but efforts should be undertaken to remove Hg from vaccines. Additional studies should be conducted to further evaluate the relationship between Hg exposure and NDs.

4. Gov't: Girl's Autism-Like Symptoms Linked to Vaccines: Federal Officials Say Vaccines Worsened Condition That Led to Autism Spectrum Disorder in Georgia Girl
   Kathleen Doheny, WebMD Medical News

   March 6, 2008 -- Federal officials say a Georgia girl is entitled to compensation from a federal vaccine injury fund because she developed autism-like symptoms after receiving childhood vaccines in 2000.

   Hannah's father, Jon, tells WebMD he was not surprised by the compensation decision.

   "When you are talking about the courtroom versus science, the burden of proof is different," Poling says. "(But) we showed there was a plausible mechanism. We showed that an injury occurred shortly after her vaccination. Her growth curve went flat for months."

   The government has not said that childhood vaccines cause autism; rather, officials conclude that the vaccines given to the girl in 2000 aggravated a pre-existing condition -- a mitochondrial disorder -- that then manifested as a regressive neurological disease with some symptoms of autism spectrum disorder. [...]
   [Read More]

   • And See:
     • Special report: Vaccines and autism
       Health Check 10, turnto10.com, Providence, RI (16.05.08)

       [...] Overall, nearly 4,900 families have filed claims with the U.S. Court of Claims alleging that vaccines caused autism and other neurological problems in their children. Lawyers for the families are presenting three different theories of how vaccines caused autism. The theory at issue Monday was whether vaccines containing the preservative thimerosal caused autism.
       
       Lynn Ricciardella, a Justice Department lawyer, said that theory has not moved beyond the realm of speculation. She said that the Institute of Medicine and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have rejected any link between thimerosal and autism. [...]

5. Vaccines and Autism Revisited — The Hannah Poling Case
   Paul A. Offit, MD. New England Journal of Medicine
   No. 20, Vol. 358:2089-2091 (15.05.08)
   
6. Infant Primates Given Vaccines on U.S. Children's Immunization Schedule Develop Behavioral Symptoms of Autism
   Press Release, National Autism Association (19.05.08)
   
7. Recommended Immunization Schedule for Persons Aged 0–6 Years — US • 2008
   Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
   The Recommended Immunization Schedules for Persons Aged 0–18 Years are approved by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (www.cdc.gov/vaccines/recs/acip), the American Academy of Pediatrics (http://www.aap.org), and the American Academy of Family Physicians (http://www.aafp.org).
   
8. Immunization Schedules for Infants and Children
   CANADA (Last Modified: 16.03.07)
   
9. Early Downward Trends in Neurodevelopmental Disorders Following Removal of Thimerosal-Containing Vaccines
   David A. Geier BA, Mark R. Geier, MD PhD.
   Journal of the American Physicians and Surgeons Vol.11. No.1 (Spring 2006)
   Autism Rates Drop After Mercury Removed From Childhood Vaccines
   Summary Article, Medical News Today (3.03.06)

   [...] As more and more vaccines were added to the mandatory schedule of vaccines for children, the dose of the mercury-based preservative thimerosal rose, so that the cumulative dose injected into babies exceeded the toxic threshold set by many government agencies. Mercury is known to damage nerve cells in very low concentrations.

   The concern about vaccines may actually be underrated, as it is generally acknowledged that the voluntary reporting of such disorders has resulted in vast underreporting of new cases. For example, the Iowa state legislature banned thimerosal from all vaccines administered there after it documented a 700-fold increase in that state alone. California followed suit, and 32 states are considering doing so.

   Up until about 1989 pre-school children got only 3 vaccines (polio, DPT, MMR). By 1999 the CDC recommended a total of 22 vaccines to be given before children reach the 1st grade, including Hepatitis B, which is given to newborns within the first 24 hours of birth. Many of these vaccines contained mercury. In the 1990s approximately 40 million children were injected with mercury-containing vaccines.

   The cumulative amount of mercury being given to children in this number of vaccines would be an amount 187 times the EPA daily exposure limit.

   Between 1989 and 2003, there has been an explosion of autism. The incidence of autism (and other related disorders) went from about 1 in 2,500 children to 1 in every 166. Currently there are more than a half million children in the U.S. that have autism. This disorder has devastated families.

   In 1999, on the recommendation of the American Academy of Pediatrics and U.S. Public Health Service, thimerosal was removed from most childhood vaccines as a "precautionary" measure - i.e. without admitting to any causal link between thimerosal and autism.

   The Geiers conclude that mercury continues to be a concern, as it is still added to some of the most commonly-used vaccines, such as those for flu:

   "Despite its removal from many childhood vaccines, thimerosal is still routinely added to some formulations of influenza vaccine administered to U.S. infants, as well as to several other vaccines (e.g. tetanus-diphtheria and monovalent tetanus) administered to older children and adults. In 2004, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (NAS) retreated from the stated 1999 goal of the AAP and the PHS to remove thimerosal from U.S. vaccines as soon as possible. As a result, assessing the safety of TCVs [thimerosal-containing vaccines] is a matter of significant importance."

   • Cf.
     • Continuing increases in autism reported to California's developmental services system: mercury in retrograde.
       Robert Schechter, MD, MSc; Judith K. Grether, PhD.
       Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2008 Jan;65(1):19-24.
       
     • Mercury, Vaccines, And Autism: One Controversy, Three Histories
       Baker JP. Am J Public Health. 2008 Feb;98(2):244-53.
       • Mercury, Vaccines, And Autism: One Controversy, Much Propaganda
         Michael F. Wagnitz, Chemist, National Autism Association (8 February 2008)
         [Letter in response to Baker]
         
     • Thimerosal and Vaccines — A Cautionary Tale
       Paul A. Offit, MD. N Engl J Med. 2007 Sep 27;357(13):1278-9.
       
     • Pervasive developmental disorders in Montreal, Quebec, Canada: prevalence and links with immunizations.
       Fombonne E, Zakarian R, Bennett A, Meng L, McLean-Heywood D.
       Pediatrics. 2006 Jul;118(1):e139-50.
       
     • Thimerosal and Autism
       Paul A. Offit, MD, Director, Vaccine Education Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (March 2006)
       • Vaccines and Autism: What you should know
         Vaccine Education Center at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia®
         (Summer 2008)

         [...] In 1999, professional groups called for thimerosal to be removed from vaccines as a precaution. Unfortunately, the precipitous removal of thimerosal from all but some multidose preparations of influenza vaccine scared some parents. Clinicians were also confused by the recommendation.

         Since the removal of thimerosal, six studies have been performed to determine whether thimerosal causes autism. Again, hundreds of thousands of children who received thimerosal-containing vaccines were compared to hundreds of thousands of children who received the same vaccines free of thimerosal. The results were clear: The risk of autism was the same in both groups. [...]

10. Poisoned Nation: Pollution Greed, and the Rise of Deadly Epidemics
    Loretta Schwartz-Nobel, NY: St. Martin's Press, 2007:95

    According to Dr. Hugh Fundenburg, one of the most quoted biologists of our time, with nearly 850 papers in peer review journals, it isn't just children who are at risk. Fundenburg writes that "if an adult receives too many consecutive flu shots containing thimerosal, his or her chance of developing Alzheimer's disease is ten times greater than if he or she had one, two, or no shots." When asked why this was so, Dr. Fundenburg stated that "the gradual mercury and aluminum buildup in the brain causes eventual cognitive dysfunction."

    Schwartz-Nobel is an award-winning investigate journalist. In her chapter entitled The Autism Epidemic, the author presents a damning indictment of the Bush administration, the CDC, and behind-the-scenes politics regarding the thimerosal controversy (pp.85-101). Cf. below: CDC, FDA and SafeMinds.org. The CDC makes the following statement in its Inactivated Influenza Vaccine: What You Need To Know 2007-2008 advisory:

    Some inactivated influenza vaccine contains thimerosal, a preservative that contains mercury. Some people believe thimerosal may be related to developmental problems in children. In 2004 the Institute of Medicine published a report concluding that, based on scientific studies, there is no evidence of such a relationship. If you are concerned about thimerosal, ask your doctor about thimerosal-free influenza vaccine.

11. CDC Autism Information Center
    Information on autism. Provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.
    And see: Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network
    See also: FDA - Thimerosal in Vaccines
    U.S. Food and Drug Administration (Updated: 31.08.09; Accessed: 1.11.09)
    Also See: Mercury in Plasma-Derived Products
    
12. Timeline: Thimerosal in Vaccines (1999-2008)
    Immunization Action Coalition and Hepatitis B Coalition
    
13. SAFEMINDS ALERT: FLU VACCINES — WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

    Thimerosal is a mercury-based preservative developed in the 1930s that has been used in as many as 50 vaccines. In the 1982 Federal Register, an expert panel at the FDA reviewed thimerosal and found that it was toxic, caused cell death and called for its removal in over the counter products

    In 2001 the Institute of Medicine, in reviewing the use of thimerosal in vaccines, recommended that "government agencies give full consideration to removing thimerosal from all vaccines administered to infants, children or pregnant women."

    You can request thimerosal-free vaccines from your healthcare provider. SafeMinds recommends contacting your health care provider well in advance to ask specifically for a thimerosal-free vaccine.

    The Coalition for SafeMinds (Sensible Action for Ending Mercury-Induced Neurological Disorders) is a private nonprofit organization founded to investigate and raise awareness of the risks to infants and children of exposure to mercury from medical products, including thimerosal in vaccines. Since its inception in 2000, SafeMinds has sponsored almost one million dollars in research related specifically to mercury and adverse neurological outcomes, including autism. This level of financial commitment establishes SafeMinds as the largest private non-profit organization funding mercury and autism related research. For more information please visit safeminds.org

14. CANADA — Q33. What degree of mercury exposure has my six-month-old baby encountered from vaccines? Is there a health risk associated with this level of exposure?
    Health Canada (2007-12-14); See also: Mercury: Your Health and the Environment

    There is little chance for a six month old to be exposed to mercury through vaccination. Most vaccines licensed in Canada do not contain thimerosal. Since 1994, all routine childhood vaccines, with the exception of the flu vaccine, administered in Canada have not contained thimerosal. Thimerosal is not added to single dose vaccines.

    In Canada, vaccines to prevent the following diseases are used for routine immunization of children and do not contain thimerosal:

    • diphtheria
    • tetanus (lockjaw)
    • pertussis (whooping cough)
    • polio
    • rubella (German measles)
    • measles (red measles)
    • mumps
    • hepatitis B (available free to children only in some provinces and territories)
    • Haemophilus influenzae type b disease
    For immunization of infants against hepatitis B, parents or guardians in some provinces and territories have the choice of a thimerosal-free vaccine.
    
15. Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Children: Autism and ADHD
    Mona Sethi Gupta, PhD (Toxicologist), Environmental Chemistry (15.04.08)

    [...] Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired social interaction as well as verbal and non-verbal communication. There are various degrees of severity involved in this disorder. Therefore, this condition is commonly referred to as "autism spectrum disorders" or ASD which include autism, Asperger's syndrome, pervasive developmental disorders not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) and high-functioning autism. Statistics based on data gathered in 2002 indicates that more than 550,000 children are affected by varying degrees of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). In fact, it has been reported that autism is the fastest growing developmental disability, increasing at a rate of 10 to 17 percent annually according to the Autism Society of America. While improved diagnostic measures may contribute to the perceived increase in the number of cases, it is becoming increasingly apparent that environmental neurotoxins in combination with genetic predispositions could also create adverse gene-environment interactions.

    Surveys conducted in California indicate an almost 210% increase in the number of cases of autism in children over the past 10 years. There is increasing concern that certain chemicals (such as mercury, halogenated aromatics and pesticides) and biotic factors (such as vaccine antigens) may act synergistically to alter certain susceptibility or genetic risk factors to result in ASD. The UC Davis Center for Children's Environmental Health has established the first large scale epidemiological study to investigate the underlying causes of autism. The UC Davis researchers at the Children's center have suggested an association between thimerosal (ethyl mercury) and immune system dysfunction in mice. In a recent study, Windham et. al. (2006) explored the possible association between ASD and environmental exposures to hazardous air pollutants in the San Francisco Bay area. Based on the data from the study, the authors suggested that living in areas with higher ambient levels of HAPs [Hazardous Air Pollutants], especially metals and chlorinated solvents, during pregnancy or early childhood could be associated with a moderately increased risk of autism. This study highlighted the need for more complex etiologic studies combining exposure to multiple compounds by various pathways with genetic information to further understand the contribution of environmental exposures to the development of autism. [...] [Read More]

16. Developmental neurotoxicity of industrial chemicals
    Dr, Prof P Grandjean MD, Prof PJ Landrigan MD
    The Lancet. DOI:10.1016/S0140-6736(06)69665-7
    And see: Potentials for exposure to industrial chemicals
    suspected of causing developmental neurotoxicity

    Development Of Children's Brains Threatened By Industrial Chemicals
    Summary Article, Medical News Today (8.11.06)

    [...] Grandjean suspects there may be a silent pandemic of brain development disorders which start even before babies leave the womb.

    If little is known about many chemicals, perhaps their effects are even worse than we currently suspect, say the scientists. The researchers said that more stringent controls on their limits should be imposed until we know more about their effects on the developing brain. Pregnant women and young children are uniquely sensitive to chemicals, say the researchers - limits should take this into account.

    The report states that 1-in-6 children has a developmental disability, which mostly affect the nervous system. The prevention of neurodevelopmental disabilities is hampered by the great gaps in testing chemicals for developmental neurotoxicity and the high level of proof needed for regulation.

    Industrial chemicals we do know about, such as lead, are known to cause fetal brain injury at significantly lower doses than for adults. Consequently, we have lowered the lead content of gas (petrol). Even so, successful campaigns came about after long delays, say Grandjean and co-author Dr. Philip Landrigan, Department of Community Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, NY, USA.

    There are thousands of chemicals which are registered for commercial use - in 1981 the EU had 100,000 of them registered, while the USA had 80,000. Under half of all chemicals most commonly used in commerce have had token lab tests. The researchers fear that the few chemicals we do know about, regarding harm to brain development, could be just the tip of a gigantic iceberg.

17. EWG || Human Toxome Project

    Just as scientists raced to define the human genome, the Human Toxome Project (HTP) at Environmental Working Group is working to define the human toxome-the full scope of industrial pollution in humanity. HTP scientists use cutting edge biomonitoring techniques to test for industrial chemicals like bisphenol A and perchlorate that enter the body through pollution or even as ingredients in everyday consumer products.

    Browse Test Results By Age:
    In Utero/Newborn | Teen | Adult | Senior