Do Vaccines Cause Autism?

Do Vaccines Cause Autism?

By Loraine M. Stern, MD
Mercury compounds are the culprit behind the autism-vaccine scare.

Some people believe that vaccines -- or, more specifically, thimerosal,
a mercury compound that was once present in trace amounts in vaccines
but has since been eliminated -- can cause autism. It's becoming clear
that autism is a genetic disorder, which may or may not be triggered by
other components such as environmental factors.

The idea that vaccines can cause autism has never been proved in large
studies, but many parents today are not convinced. As a matter of fact,
two recent studies showed the opposite to be true. A study from the
University of Bristol, in England, followed some 13,000 children for six
to seven years, while a study from the Communicable Disease Surveillance
Center, in London, reviewed the history of 100,000 children born between
1988 and 1997. In both studies, children were given vaccines that
contained thimerosal.

The results? Children who had a higher rate of exposure to thimerosal
had a lower incidence of autism, developmental delay, hyperactivity, and
conduct disorders than those who had less exposure to the mercury compound.

Loraine M. Stern, MD, is a clinical professor of pediatrics at the
University of California, Los Angeles, and a practicing pediatrician.

Originally published in American Baby magazine, February 2005.

Mark Probert wrote:
Do Vaccines Cause Autism?

By Loraine M. Stern, MD
Mercury compounds are the culprit behind the autism-vaccine scare.

Some people believe that vaccines -- or, more specifically, thimerosal,
a mercury compound that was once present in trace amounts in vaccines
but has since been eliminated -- can cause autism. It's becoming clear
that autism is a genetic disorder, which may or may not be triggered by
other components such as environmental factors.

The idea that vaccines can cause autism has never been proved in large
studies, but many parents today are not convinced. As a matter of fact,
two recent studies showed the opposite to be true. A study from the
University of Bristol, in England, followed some 13,000 children for six
to seven years, while a study from the Communicable Disease Surveillance
Center, in London, reviewed the history of 100,000 children born between
1988 and 1997. In both studies, children were given vaccines that
contained thimerosal.

The results? Children who had a higher rate of exposure to thimerosal
had a lower incidence of autism, developmental delay, hyperactivity, and
conduct disorders than those who had less exposure to the mercury compound.

Loraine M. Stern, MD, is a clinical professor of pediatrics at the
University of California, Los Angeles, and a practicing pediatrician.

Originally published in American Baby magazine, February 2005.

I was impressed by the CDSC study, simply because of the numbers (109
863 children who were born from 1988 to 1997), and the spread of
developmental disorders looked at (general developmental disorders,
language or speech delay, tics, attention-deficit disorder, autism,
unspecified developmental delays, behavior problems, encopresis, and
enuresis).


It was published in Pediatrics: PEDIATRICS Vol. 114 No. 3 September
2004, pp. 584-591
(http://pediatrics.aappublications.or...ract/114/3/584),
and the results were very interesting:

Results. Only in 1 analysis for tics was there some evidence of a
higher risk with increasing doses (Cox's HR: 1.50 per dose at 4 months;
95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02-2.20). Statistically significant
negative associations with increasing doses at 4 months were found for
general developmental disorders (HR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.81-0.93),
unspecified developmental delay (HR: 0.80; 95% CI: 0.69-0.92), and
attention-deficit disorder (HR: 0.79; 95% CI: 0.64-0.98). For the
other disorders, there was no evidence of an association with
thimerosal exposure.

Conclusions. With the possible exception of tics, there was no evidence
that thimerosal exposure via DTP/DT vaccines causes neurodevelopmental
disorders.

Reassuring, to say the least.

Cathy

cathyb wrote:
Mark Probert wrote:

Do Vaccines Cause Autism?

By Loraine M. Stern, MD
Mercury compounds are the culprit behind the autism-vaccine scare.

Some people believe that vaccines -- or, more specifically, thimerosal,
a mercury compound that was once present in trace amounts in vaccines
but has since been eliminated -- can cause autism. It's becoming clear
that autism is a genetic disorder, which may or may not be triggered by
other components such as environmental factors.

The idea that vaccines can cause autism has never been proved in large
studies, but many parents today are not convinced. As a matter of fact,
two recent studies showed the opposite to be true. A study from the
University of Bristol, in England, followed some 13,000 children for six
to seven years, while a study from the Communicable Disease Surveillance
Center, in London, reviewed the history of 100,000 children born between
1988 and 1997. In both studies, children were given vaccines that
contained thimerosal.

The results? Children who had a higher rate of exposure to thimerosal
had a lower incidence of autism, developmental delay, hyperactivity, and
conduct disorders than those who had less exposure to the mercury compound.

Loraine M. Stern, MD, is a clinical professor of pediatrics at the
University of California, Los Angeles, and a practicing pediatrician.

Originally published in American Baby magazine, February 2005.


I was impressed by the CDSC study, simply because of the numbers (109
863 children who were born from 1988 to 1997), and the spread of
developmental disorders looked at (general developmental disorders,
language or speech delay, tics, attention-deficit disorder, autism,
unspecified developmental delays, behavior problems, encopresis, and
enuresis).


It was published in Pediatrics: PEDIATRICS Vol. 114 No. 3 September
2004, pp. 584-591
(http://pediatrics.aappublications.or...ract/114/3/584),
and the results were very interesting:

Results. Only in 1 analysis for tics was there some evidence of a
higher risk with increasing doses (Cox's HR: 1.50 per dose at 4 months;
95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02-2.20). Statistically significant
negative associations with increasing doses at 4 months were found for
general developmental disorders (HR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.81-0.93),
unspecified developmental delay (HR: 0.80; 95% CI: 0.69-0.92), and
attention-deficit disorder (HR: 0.79; 95% CI: 0.64-0.98). For the
other disorders, there was no evidence of an association with
thimerosal exposure.

Conclusions. With the possible exception of tics, there was no evidence
that thimerosal exposure via DTP/DT vaccines causes neurodevelopmental
disorders.

Reassuring, to say the least.

Makes you wonder why they removed Thimerosal if it seemed to have a
protective effect against all those disorders.

Mark Probert wrote:
cathyb wrote:
Mark Probert wrote:

Do Vaccines Cause Autism?

By Loraine M. Stern, MD
Mercury compounds are the culprit behind the autism-vaccine scare.

Some people believe that vaccines -- or, more specifically, thimerosal,
a mercury compound that was once present in trace amounts in vaccines
but has since been eliminated -- can cause autism. It's becoming clear
that autism is a genetic disorder, which may or may not be triggered by
other components such as environmental factors.

The idea that vaccines can cause autism has never been proved in large
studies, but many parents today are not convinced. As a matter of fact,
two recent studies showed the opposite to be true. A study from the
University of Bristol, in England, followed some 13,000 children for six
to seven years, while a study from the Communicable Disease Surveillance
Center, in London, reviewed the history of 100,000 children born between
1988 and 1997. In both studies, children were given vaccines that
contained thimerosal.

The results? Children who had a higher rate of exposure to thimerosal
had a lower incidence of autism, developmental delay, hyperactivity, and
conduct disorders than those who had less exposure to the mercury compound.

Loraine M. Stern, MD, is a clinical professor of pediatrics at the
University of California, Los Angeles, and a practicing pediatrician.

Originally published in American Baby magazine, February 2005.


I was impressed by the CDSC study, simply because of the numbers (109
863 children who were born from 1988 to 1997), and the spread of
developmental disorders looked at (general developmental disorders,
language or speech delay, tics, attention-deficit disorder, autism,
unspecified developmental delays, behavior problems, encopresis, and
enuresis).


It was published in Pediatrics: PEDIATRICS Vol. 114 No. 3 September
2004, pp. 584-591
(http://pediatrics.aappublications.or...ract/114/3/584),
and the results were very interesting:

Results. Only in 1 analysis for tics was there some evidence of a
higher risk with increasing doses (Cox's HR: 1.50 per dose at 4 months;
95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02-2.20). Statistically significant
negative associations with increasing doses at 4 months were found for
general developmental disorders (HR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.81-0.93),
unspecified developmental delay (HR: 0.80; 95% CI: 0.69-0.92), and
attention-deficit disorder (HR: 0.79; 95% CI: 0.64-0.98). For the
other disorders, there was no evidence of an association with
thimerosal exposure.

Conclusions. With the possible exception of tics, there was no evidence
that thimerosal exposure via DTP/DT vaccines causes neurodevelopmental
disorders.

Reassuring, to say the least.

Makes you wonder why they removed Thimerosal if it seemed to have a
protective effect against all those disorders.

Yup. The increased risk of a tic seems a small price to pay for
protection against the diseases and reduced risk of all those other
developmental disorders.

Wonder if you can get it as a dietary supplement

Cathy

cathyb wrote:
Mark Probert wrote:

Makes you wonder why they removed Thimerosal if it seemed to have a
protective effect against all those disorders.

wt ???


Yup. The increased risk of a tic seems a small price to pay for
protection against the diseases and reduced risk of all those other
developmental disorders.

Are you folks for real? This is a rather strange
sense of humor.

Or, wait a minute... maybe you folks ARE serious.

Yup. That would explain most of your posts much better.

wrote:
cathyb wrote:
Mark Probert wrote:

Makes you wonder why they removed Thimerosal if it seemed to have a
protective effect against all those disorders.

wt ???


Yup. The increased risk of a tic seems a small price to pay for
protection against the diseases and reduced risk of all those other
developmental disorders.

Are you folks for real? This is a rather strange
sense of humor.

Or, wait a minute... maybe you folks ARE serious.

Yup. That would explain most of your posts much better.

PS: Dear misguided morons,

Don't obtain and eat thimerosal.

Thimerosal is not part of the vaccines themselves,
and is not a medicine.

It's a PRESERVATIVE, and the issue is one of packaging
and manufacturing. Removing thimerosal will make the
vaccines more costly by a dollar or two, because
the shots will have to be individually packed.

Basically, you have been campaigning viciously
to help maintain the SHELF LIFE of vaccines,
nothing else.

wrote:
wrote:

cathyb wrote:

Mark Probert wrote:

Makes you wonder why they removed Thimerosal if it seemed to have a
protective effect against all those disorders.

wt ???


Yup. The increased risk of a tic seems a small price to pay for
protection against the diseases and reduced risk of all those other
developmental disorders.

Are you folks for real? This is a rather strange
sense of humor.

Or, wait a minute... maybe you folks ARE serious.

Yup. That would explain most of your posts much better.


PS: Dear misguided morons,

Don't obtain and eat thimerosal.

Thimerosal is not part of the vaccines themselves,
and is not a medicine.

It's a PRESERVATIVE, and the issue is one of packaging
and manufacturing. Removing thimerosal will make the
vaccines more costly by a dollar or two, because
the shots will have to be individually packed.

Basically, you have been campaigning viciously
to help maintain the SHELF LIFE of vaccines,
nothing else.

Dear MORON:

I am well aware that Thimerosal was used as a preservative in multi-dose
vaccines until the scare mongers had it removed.

If you would bother to read up thread, you would find that I posted an
article that referenced two studies of the imaginary thimerosal-Autism
link where the findings actually suggest that those kids who received
vaccinations which included Thimerosal were LESS LIKELY to develop a
whole host of developmental disorders, including autism.

Thus, it appears that the Thimerosal in the vaccines actually protected
against what the anti-vac lying scaremongers claimed it caused.

If you need this translated to smaller ideas, please let me know. I will
try to use monosyllabic words.

Mark Probert wrote:

If you would bother to read up thread, you would find that I posted an
article that referenced two studies of the imaginary thimerosal-Autism
link where the findings actually suggest that those kids who received
vaccinations which included Thimerosal were LESS LIKELY to develop a
whole host of developmental disorders, including autism.

Oh! In that case, sorry about the over-reaction.

I still think you are misguided though. There
are studies on both sides. The California
graphs shows an amazing correlation, similarly
strong correlation is not found in much other
accepted data. The Danish studies do not
include the right data, and yet are being
provided as refutation.

wrote:
Mark Probert wrote:


If you would bother to read up thread, you would find that I posted an
article that referenced two studies of the imaginary thimerosal-Autism
link where the findings actually suggest that those kids who received
vaccinations which included Thimerosal were LESS LIKELY to develop a
whole host of developmental disorders, including autism.


Oh! In that case, sorry about the over-reaction.

I still think you are misguided though. There
are studies on both sides. The California
graphs shows an amazing correlation, similarly
strong correlation is not found in much other
accepted data. The Danish studies do not
include the right data, and yet are being
provided as refutation.

Bull****, wrt to Danish studies. They are not alone. For example, other
studies in other countries, Cananda being one, confirm the Danish
findings. Replication of findings in different populations in
epidemiology is one of the hallmarks of accuracy.

Mark Probert wrote:
wrote:
Mark Probert wrote:


If you would bother to read up thread, you would find that I posted an
article that referenced two studies of the imaginary thimerosal-Autism
link where the findings actually suggest that those kids who received
vaccinations which included Thimerosal were LESS LIKELY to develop a
whole host of developmental disorders, including autism.


Oh! In that case, sorry about the over-reaction.

I still think you are misguided though. There
are studies on both sides. The California
graphs shows an amazing correlation, similarly
strong correlation is not found in much other
accepted data. The Danish studies do not
include the right data, and yet are being
provided as refutation.

Bull****, wrt to Danish studies. They are not alone. For example, other
studies in other countries, Cananda being one, confirm the Danish
findings. Replication of findings in different populations in
epidemiology is one of the hallmarks of accuracy.

Maybe. Personally, if I see one bad apple, I am
inclined to check the whole bunch very thoroughly.
I am less trusting than you when money motives
come into play.