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| Wed, 05-31-2006 - 6:06pm |
BREAKING NEWS - RESEARCH
Downward Trends in Neurodevelopmental Disorders
An assessment of downward trends in neurodevelopmental disorders in the United States following removal of thimerosal from childhood vaccines
by David A. Geier and Mark R. Geier, MD
Summary
Background: The US is in the midst of an epidemic of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDs). Thimerosal is an ethylmercury-containing compound added to some childhood vaccines. Several previous epidemiological studies conducted in the US have associated Thimerosal-containing vaccine (TCV) administration with NDs.
Material/Methods: An ecological study was undertaken to evaluate NDs reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) from 1991 through 2004 by date of receipt and by date of vaccine administration. The NDs examined included autism, mental retardation, and speech disorders. Statistical trend analysis was employed to evaluate the effects of removal of Thimerosal on the proportion of NDs reported to VAERS. Results: There was a peak in the proportion of ND reports received by VAERS in 2001–2002 and in the proportion of ND reports by date of vaccine administration in 1998. There were significant reductions in the proportion of NDs reported to VAERS as Thimerosal was begun to be removed from childhood vaccines in the US from mid-1999 onwards.
Conclusions: The present study provides the first epidemiological evidence
showing that as Thimerosal was removed from childhood vaccines, the number of NDs has decreased in the US. The analysis techniques utilized attempted to minimize chance or bias/confounding. Additional research should be conducted to further evaluate the relationship between TCVs and NDs. This is especially true because the handling of vaccine safety data from the National Immunization Program of the CDC has been called into question by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences in 2005.
To read entire report, click here. http://tinyurl.com/mx2qs

Makes one just want to puke doesn't it.
FYI, Cait and Mike were born in 94 adn 96. We had an old school pediatrician at the time. They got all thier vaccines right on schedule and were readily given antibiotics of increasing strengths for any infection. Thier first vaccine was in the hospital the day after they were born.
Emily and Dave born in 98 and 00, recieved the majority of thier important shots in california under the supervision of my developmental ped who is very pro natural remedies and natural/alternative health stuff.
Dave definitely was at a cross roads and could have either gone towards autism or just spirited kid. This report makes me very very glad we chose to separate his shots like we did.
Maybe not all kids are affected by the vaccines but I really have been thinking it at least has some blame for mine. Too dam late now though isn't it.
Renee
My DS was born after thimerisol was removed from vaccines.
I guess this means that he doesn't really have PDD-NOS then!
Cathy
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Well I think there are many causes for autism. I definitely think it is a genetic predisposition combined with an environmental assault of some sort. I just think the CDC jumped the gun earlier clearing thermerisol as one of those assaults. I also think that the amount of shots a child would get and the amount of thermerisol had a correlation with the "epidemic" of autism and am very glad if it is going to start to slow down again for many many reasons. For instance, my grandchildren. Hopefully by that time we will know what causes autism because my kids are definitely genetically predisposed. Poor Emily. Can you imagine being the only NT sib of 4 and then having autistic children?
In our case I don't think it is a slam dunk, just thermerisol becuase there were issues from day one, but as I said there were shots from day one. But I do see a difference with food as well.
I think over the last 20+ years the diet of america has changed drastically to faster, easier, less nutrient dense foods. Even "healthy" food isn't neccessarily healthy. When I was growing up everything was made from actual ingredients. Often things were grown in our own garden or we bought it at a little farm stand in the summer on the side of the road. Now even low cal "healthy choice" type dinners are loaded with chemicals, preservatives and lack vital nutrients. Nearly everything I see in the grocery store has more junk thank food. I have a new rule. If there are more than like 5 ingredients and I can't pronounce any of them, it just isn't worth it. I have found even Cape Cod chips have potatoes, canola oil and salt.
I am glad they are looking into thermerisol as a possible culprit but I would be really happy if mainstream research began looking into our american diet and scientifically determining whether or not that is a factor as well.
Recently a friend was telling me about another boy she knows with AS. If the boy doesn't eat every few hours he completely melts down. I can't tell you how many times I have heard that about AS kids. Mike was like that and he also wet his pants. I have to say since going on the diet the food obsession has stopped. He doesn't melt down if he hasn't eaten in 3 hours and he doesn't get so overstimulated sensory wise that he wets his pants.
BTW, cathy, even though they recomended taking thermerisol out of shots in 1998 it wasn't mandatory, many doctors still used the left over reserves and it is still in some shots. In many cases it did take a number of years to get alot of the thermerisol out of the shots so your ds isn't immune to this particular problem either and current shots aren't neccessarily safe. I just refused a booster for Cait until I can research it and have it split into individual shots rather than a mixed one. My doctor is totally understanding (see last post) and considering Cait's recent events I am not taking any chances neurologically.
Renee
Val,
Thanks for posting this. I haven't read the full report yet. I am interested to see how the data is normalised.
Does anyone know if this has been picked up by any of the news agencies?
-Paula
visit my blog at www.onesickmother.com
I just read the entire report. I have to say, it seems a little shaky to me. Understand that I'm *not* saying there shouldn't be further research on the effect of vaccines! And I'm not saying that the premise of the study isn't valid. But I'm not sure this one study is going to be taken seriously, for a couple of reasons... First, if you read the section titled "potential conflict of interest," you can see that the two authors of the study are affiliated with groups that are trying to seek compensation for damages caused by vaccines. And also, the database they use in order to compile their data seems like it's not really a full report of what's going on -- it's a public access databse, and only certain cases are reported on it, etc.
I really do think that a comprehensive study needs to take place -- but I wouldn't want to make this particular study my rallying cry...
Jennifer
I agree with you whole heartedly and there needs to be more studies done on this but I do think that the CDC was premature in clearing thermerisol as a contributer to autism increases.
There is one other report on this matter as well. The California Regional Centers put out a report a year or so ago that thier intake numbers had begun to decrease for the first time in a large number of years. The decrease coincided with the children who were born after 1998. Kids transfer into RC either at 3 when early intervention is done or some are referred after (4-6 years old). I believe it was in maybe 2003- 2004 or there abouts that they really started to show a decrease in new autism reports. If that trend continues I think it is definitely another sign that thermerisol has to at least be considered and looked into more carefully as a possible culprit.
I don't like the idea of chelation personally. It scares me. But if they do find that mercury is a culprit it will give researchers a idea of a way to go for treating our kids who are already affected (I hope) at least somewhat. Perhaps they can at least make it more safe or prove for what kids chelation would be beneficial.
Lets just hope there is actual studies done on this whole thing starting soon.
Renee
FYI - Most "mercury free" vaccines are NOT 100% mercury free - vaccine makers still use thimerosal as a preservative but then chelate the metal out of the vaccine, but not all of the mercury is eliminated. Most is, however for children who are genetically prone to heavy-metal retention/metal metabolism abnormalities, then this could still adversely affect them, despite being trace amounts. ANY amount of mercury is dangerous, ESPECIALLY when it is injected in the bloodstream of an infant on a semi-regular basis, as the vaccination schedule exposes the child to continuous innocluations of toxins (such as mercury, aluminum, formaldahyde, antifreeze, the list goes on).
Meg
Terribly interesting.....thank you for posting
Christie