The Cause of Autism - Essay Example

A Brief Outline "We adopted Zach when he was just two days old. His biological mother was 15 years old when Zach was born and Zach being an unwanted child, she did not take any pre-natal care, neither did she paid visit to a doctor. Due to foul odour emanating from his body after his birth, he was placed on IV and antibiotics. When he was discharged from the hospital, we consulted a paediatrician, who gave him still more antibiotics. This casual medication took its toll on Zach's immune system and his progress was inhibited."1 There are numerous Zachs' in this world whose life is at peril due to careless medication. Continuous use of childhood medications and vaccines laden with mercury are posing greatest health hazard all over the world. The issue of thimerosal-containing vaccines as a possible cause of autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) and neuro-developmental disorders (NDDs) has been a controversial topic since 1999. To assess the quality of evidence assessing a potential association between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism and evaluate whether that evidence suggests accepting or rejecting the hypothesis, it is pertinent to evaluate the relevant studies (Parker et al, 2004). Supporting school of thought There has been growing clinical and scientific claim that most children with autism suffer from mercury/metal toxicity. Furthermore, there have been many reports from physicians and parents that removal of mercury and other toxic metals can be very beneficial to children with autism, sometimes resulting in a major decrease in autistic 1. Jon symptoms. Thimerosal is ethylmercury, a documented dangerous neurotoxin, used as an inexpensive preservative in vaccines (http://autismboulder.org). Thimerosal, a preservative added to many vaccines, has become a major source of mercury in children who, within their first two years, may have received a quantity of mercury that exceeds safety guidelines. A review of medical literature and US government data suggests that: (i) many cases of idiopathic autism are induced by early mercury exposure from thimerosal; (ii) this type of autism represents an unrecognized mercurial syndrome; and (iii) genetic and non-genetic factors establish a predisposition whereby thimerosal's adverse effects occur only in some children (Bernard et al. 2001). There is extensive evidence that many children with autism suffer from mercury toxicity. Briefly, the evidence shows that children with autism have low levels of glutathione and cysteine (the pre-cursor to glutathione), which is the major pathway for removal of toxic metals like mercury. The children also often had excessive use of oral antibiotics, which greatly inhibits excretion of mercury. The symptoms of autism are consistent with that of mercury toxicity (Autism Research Institute, 2005). In 2003 a three year investigation of mercury in vaccines concluded that it was hazardous and recommended research into mercury as a contributing factor for neurodevelopmental disorders such as Autism, ADD/ADHD, Speech Delay, Alzheimer's and Gulf War Syndrome be conducted. Recommended research remains incomplete. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced the continuing investigation into mercury in vaccines and autism (Autismboulder.org. 2005). Geier and Geier ( JP&S, 2003) pointed out that introduction of thimerosal in vaccines is directly associated with growing number of autism cases in children and complete removal of thimerosal from all childhood vaccines is recommended for eliminating any risk the child may be exposed to . Their research study confirms that there was a two- to six-fold increased incidence of neurodevelopment disorders following an additional 75-100 microgram dosage of mercury from thimerosal-containing vaccines compared to thimerosal-free vaccines Bernard (Bernard, 2004) asserted that the claim by the Centres for Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatrics that the available scientific evidence has not shown thimerosal-containing vaccines to be harmful is false. Numerous scientific studies demonstrated thimerosal to be harmful and to be a highly probably causal factor in autism.. Opposing School This eighth and final report of the Immunization Safety Review Committee (Immunisation safely review, 2006) examines the hypothesis that vaccines, specifically the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine and thimerosal-containing vaccines, are causally associated with autism. The committee concludes that the body of epidemiological evidence favors rejection of a causal relationship between the MMR vaccine and autism. The committee also concludes that the body of epidemiological evidence favors rejection of a causal relationship between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism (Immunisation safety review, 2006). Five large epidemiological studies conducted in the United States, the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Sweden since 2001 consistently provided evidence that there is no association between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism. Similarly, 14 large epidemiological studies consistently showed no association between the MMR vaccine and autism (the National Academies, 2004). A retrospective cohort study in the United Kingdom to assess possible relationship between thimerosal intakes via diphtheria-tetanus-whole-cell pertussis (DTP) or diphtheria-tetanus (DT) vaccination and subsequent neuro-developmental disorder like autism revealed that there was no evidence that there is no causal relationship between thimerosal exposure of infants via DTP/DT vaccines and neuro-developmental disorders (Andrew et al, 2004). Most interesting is the case study of Danish Population data which revealed that Thimerosal and the occurrence of Autism is found to be negatively correlated. The discontinuation of thimerosal-containing vaccines in Denmark in 1992 was followed by an increase in the incidence of autism. The ecological data also do not support a correlation between thimerosal-containing vaccines and the incidence of autism (Madsen at al, 2003). In a study made by Parker et al, research papers reviewed indicates no association between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism. In the case of thimerosal and autism, a growing body of scientifically credible evidence suggests that medical research related to thimerosal and autism be based on credible grounds that would lead one to believe that such investigations will contribute to understanding mechanisms that cause ASD ((Parker et al, 2004). Although there are anecdotal reports of mercury chelation aiding children with autism, there have been no controlled trials, and reports of mercury levels in autistic children are few. (Holmes et al, 2003). It's been fifteen years since the United States Government accepted the fact that mercury was too toxic to be applied topically to the human body, and that the US needs an Act of Congress to prevent it from being deliberately injected into the bodies of pregnant women and children but till the present day, thimerosal is still being used to manufacture vaccines. Drug companies could boost production through safer options and meet consumer demands for vaccines without mercury if a market allowing mercury-containing vaccines was eliminated. References Article retrieved on 17th February, 2006 from website: http://autismboulder.org/Thimerosal%20Facts.pdf Andrews N, Miller E, Grant A, Stowe J, Osborne V, Taylor, B. (2004). Thimerosal exposure in infants and developmental disorders: a retrospective cohort study in the United kingdom does not support a causal association, Padiatrics, Vol.114(3):584-591, retrieved on 17th February from the website: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ Bernard, S., A. Enayati, L. Redwood, H. Roger and T. Binstock (2001). Autism: A novel form of mercury poisoning, Medical Hypotheses, Vol 56, Issue 4, pp. 462-471. Geier, Mark and Geier, David (2003). Thimerosal in Childhood Vaccines, Neurodevelopment Disorders, and Heart Disease in the United States, Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons, Volume 8 Number 1. Holmes AS, Blaxill MF, Haley BE. (2003) Reduced levels of mercury in first baby haircuts of autistic children, International Journal of Toxicology, 22 :277 -285 Immunization Safety Review: Vaccines and Autism (2004) A report, Board on Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (HPDP) and Institute of Medicine (IOM), retrieved on 16th February 2006 from the website: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/ Madsen, Kreesten M ., Lauritsen, Marlene B., Pedersen Carsten B., Thorsen, Poul, Plesner, Anne-Marie, Andersen, Peter H., and Mortensen, Preben B. (2003). Thimerosal and the Occurrence ofAutism: Negative Ecological Evidence From Danish Population-Based Data, Paediatrics, vol. 112 No. 3, pp. 604-606, retrieved on 17th February from the website: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/ National Vaccination Information Centre, retrieved on 17th February, 2006 from the website: http://www.909shot.com/ NVIC (2003) Continuing Use of Mercury in Vaccines Questioned, Retrieved on 17th February from the website: http://www.nvic.org/ O Meara, Patricia Kelly (2003) Vaccines may fuel autism epidemic, World Net Daily, retrieved on 17th February from website: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/ Parker, Sarah K., Schwartz, Benjamin, Todd, James, and Pickering, Larry K. (2004). Paediatrics, Vol. 114, No. 3. Retrieved on 17th Feb. from the website: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/ Rimland, Bernard (2004). The Vaccine-Autism Connection - Part I (Thimerosal), ARI, retrieved on 17th February 2006 from the website: http://www.autismwebsite.com/ARI/ Treatment Options for Mercury/Metal Toxicity in Autism and Related Developmental Disabilities (2005). Consensus Position Paper, Autism Research Institute, retrieved from website: http://www.autismwebsite.com/ARI/ The National Academies, 2004, retrieved on 16th February from the website: (http://www4.nas.edu/) Title: Report says banning mercury in children's vaccines could prevent autism, speech disorders (2003). Health Watch, Vol. 8, Issue 8 Read More