Posted with permission of
the author, Nicholas Regush. The “Health
News Analyzer” is available by paid
subscription thru
http://www.redflagsweeklyl.com
AUGUST 14, 2002
HEALTH NEWS ANALYZER
#85
Visit Redflagsweekly.com
AUTISM LINK TO
"GEEK" GENES
This is what I dug up on the
BBC News website today. I almost wish
that I hadn't looked. The
weather is extremely hot in Montreal with
smog and I didn't need any
additional aggravation.
You can find the BBC story
at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/2192611.stm
(If you can't click on the
above link, you can cut and paste it into
your browser.)
This trashy story is an
excellent example of how information viruses
get launched that make it more
difficult for reasonable people to
raise questions about vital
health issues.
The story has to do with the
"upsurge in autism cases diagnosed in
the Silicon Valley area of
California." The lead paragraph tells us
that it "may be due to
genes more common in its high-tech workers."
At least this is what is
attributed to "experts."
There is "also some
evidence that a similar situation is developing
in the 'Silicon Fen' of
high-tech industry surrounding Cambridge in
the UK."
Really?
Please read the piece and
marvel at the lack of scientific evidence
and the flurry of
speculation, including the notion that "some
doctors now think that
workers who have the complex analytical
skills needed to succeed in
high-tech industry, and who are perhaps
slightly awkward socially -
the classic profile of the 'computer
geek' - may, while not fully
autistic themselves, at least be
carrying at least a few of
the genes that contribute to it."
Extraordinary! Where did
this come from? Mars?
Was this a BBC joke? I
mentioned it to my wife and she thought it
was a joke.
Unfortunately not. This is
modern medical journalism in full frontal
assault on a complex issue.
Anyone researching autism seriously
should be appalled, not to
mention anyone who is pursuing valuable
clues about the possible
links between autism disorders and
vaccines.
Here's another amazing
bullet which is highlighted on the BBC page.
It comes to us from Dr.
Robin Hansen (a pediatrician), of the Mind
Institute in Sacramento:
"If your father has
four genes and is a computer whiz, and your
mother has three genes, you
might get all seven and get full-blown
autism." And he
unfortunately disgraces himself further by adding:
"Clearly, there's a
sort of mating where you don’t like change and
you are a little bit awkward
socially and you meet a person who is a
little bit awkward socially
too."
Did Hansen actually say
these things?
If so, methinks he should be
pulled in front of a medical review
board and get stripped of his
license for life.
On the other hand, consider
the reporter who put this
unbelievable, misleading,
speculative, nonsensical jumble of a
story together. In fact, I
still cannot imagine anyone publishing
something so incompetent.
It is also a huge insult to
any parent with a child diagnosed with an
autism disorder.
Ah well, it's hot in
Montreal and I'd better cool down a bit.
However, I'd like to give
you the opportunity to take this Health
News Analyzer and send it
out to as many people as you want - I'm
breaking my rule here about
distributing it for this one time - but
this kind of garbage on the
BBC page needs immediate and widespread
reaction.
Until Tomorrow,
Nicholas Regush
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