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AUTISM FIRST STEPS
AUTISM DAILY NEWSLETTER
Sunday December 23, 2001
INDEX:
* Free New Book Online
Now: Guide To Intestinal Health in Autism
Spectrum Disorder
* Autism May Be Caused By An Immune System Response To A Virus
* Call their bluff
* Leave us alone on MMR, says Blair
* State Laws For Vaccine Examption
* Autism Chat Cancelled - See at the new year
******************************
Free New Book Online Now: Guide To
Intestinal Health in Autism Spectrum Disorder
From Kirkman Lab's comes a
179-page draft to view online or download,
"Guide To Intestinal Health in Autism Spectrum Disorder." It's
a
comprehensive review of intestinal health issues in Autism Spectrum
Disorders and the options available for treating them.
Special section on enzymes and probiotics
including the new
EnZym-Complete with DPP-IV
http://www.kirkmanlabs.com/links/Gut_Protocol/Gut_Protocol.pdf
******************************
Autism May Be Caused By An Immune System
Response To A Virus
[This report came out in October, 1998 when our
readership was less
than 500 and we missed it. So here it is, now. It covers aspects of the
neuro-immune theory of still-idiopathic autism spectrum disorders.
Antibodies found in the blood of autistic children suggest that at
least some cases of autism are caused by a misguided immune response,
triggered by exposure to a virus, researchers in the University of
Michigan's College of Pharmacy report.
The researchers found that autistic children who
had been exposed to
certain viruses in the past showed unusually high levels of antibodies to
brain proteins, suggesting an autoimmune response. Their findings appear in
the October issue of the peer-reviewed journal, Clinical Immunology and
Immunopathology.
Autism is a developmental disorder that affects
brain function,
interfering with reasoning ability, imagination, communication, and social
interaction. Children with autism start talking later than other children,
and when they do speak, their communication skills are extremely limited.
They often avoid looking at other people and don't learn to read others'
faces for signs of emotion or other cues. These children typically are
unable to play creatively, and some engage in repetitive, sometimes
self-destructive, behavior, such as rocking, hand flapping or head-banging.
No single cause of autism has been found, and
researchers believe that
genes and environmental factors (such as viruses or chemicals) both may
contribute. The kinds of brain abnormalities found in people with autism
suggest that the disorder arises when something disrupts normal brain
development.
One possibility is that early exposure to a virus
prods the body into
mounting an immune response that somehow goes awry. In addition to producing
antibodies against the virus, the body makes antibodies against itself,
resulting in damage to tissues and organs. This "autoimmune" response
is
what happens in autoimmune diseases such as lupus, and some researchers
think a similar response may account for the brain abnormalities found in
people with autism.
It was this possibility that U-M researchers
Vijendra Singh and Victor
Yang and undergraduate student assistant Sheren Lin investigated. In their
study of 48 autistic children and 34 normal children and adults, the
researchers measured levels of antibodies to two viruses---measles virus and
human herpesvirus-6---in the subjects' blood. These antibodies were chosen
because they are often used in research on known autoimmune diseases, says
Singh, the principal investigator of the project and an assistant research
scientist in the College of Pharmacy.
The researchers also measured levels of two brain autoantibodies
(antibodies to brain tissue). One, anti-MBP, is an antibody to myelin basic
protein, a protein found in the protective sheaths around nerve fibers in
the brain. The other, anti-NAFP, is an antibody to neuron-axon filament
protein, a protein that makes up the nerve fibers themselves.
Virus antibody levels were essentially the same in autistic
and
non-autistic subjects, as the researchers expected. But the majority of
autistic children who had virus antibodies also had brain autoantibodies.
The higher the level of virus antibodies, the more likely an autistic child
was to have brain autoantibodies. None of the non-autistic subjects had
brain autoantibodies.
The strongest link found in the autistic children
was between measles
virus antibodies and anti-MBP, suggesting that exposure to the measles virus
may trigger an autoimmune response that interferes with the development of
myelin, says Singh. If myelin in the brain doesn't develop properly, nerve
fibers won't work as they should. This could be one way that the brain
abnormalities associated with autism arise.
The question of how exposure to measles virus
occurs raises a
controversial issue. Parents of children with autism often report that the
children started showing signs of the disorder shortly after being immunized
with measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) or diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus (DPT)
vaccine, but no scientific studies have shown a link between vaccines and
autism. In the U-M study, almost all the subjects had had MMR immunizations,
and none had ever had a case of measles. It is possible, however, that some
might have been infected with measles virus but never developed symptoms of
measles, says Singh
http://www.umich.edu/~newsinfo/Releases/1998/Oct98/r103098b.html
******************************
Call
their bluff
(Filed: 22/12/2001)
THE BBC ought not to be worried by the threat of the Health Secretary, Alan
Milburn, to boycott the Today programme. Mr Milburn is upset because John
Humphrys had the temerity to ask one of his junior ministers whether she
consented to the MMR vaccine being administered to her two young sons. He now
alleges that the BBC has infringed its own guidelines on the privacy of
patients and children. His indignation mirrors that of Tony Blair, who
responded tersely when asked whether baby Leo had been inoculated in line with
government advice.The BBC should call Mr Milburn's bluff and test whether the
public will miss him unduly. It also has the moral high ground. The Government
is asking the public to take a risk with MMR. Since New Labour frequently
invokes "the kids" as evidence of its caring qualities and
"normality", it has opened the door to such questions. But there is
nothing wrong with asking, any more than there is anything wrong with declining
to answer. If it does emerge that ministers' children are not receiving MMR -
even for the best of reasons - then that surely is a story.The best known
example of this is the frequent parading of Mr Blair's own family. After all,
Michael Brunson, the former ITN political editor, has revealed how, in 1994, Mr
Blair allowed him to film young Euan playing the piano, in exchange for cutting
potentially embarrassing comments by Cherie about what it might be like to live
in Number 10. Mr Blair has also used his children as the litmus test when he
decided to give approval for the Dome (the "Euan Test") and revealed
to British troops that one of his boys wanted to join the forces.None of this
is offensive per se. This newspaper has reported these matters. But what Mr
Blair cannot then do, having excited interest in his family, is to say that his
child-rearing practices are of no public concern. There are two solutions. One
was pioneered by John Gummer, who as agriculture minister sought to reassure
the public about BSE: he displayed his confidence in scientific advice by
publicly buying his daughter a disgusting looking beefburger. An alternative
approach was recently adopted by Iain Duncan Smith: his children are not public
figures and will therefore not be on display at any time. But we are surely
entitled to inquire if ministers are running a "two-tier" system of
inoculation - one for their children and another for the rest.
http://www.portal.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2001/12/22/dl2202.xml
******************************
Leave us alone on MMR, says Blair
Michael White and John Carvel
Friday December 21, 2001
The Guardian
Tony Blair yesterday led indignant senior colleagues in flatly
rejecting tabloid pressure to disclose whether ministers' children -
including his own son Leo - have had the controversial MMR triple
vaccine.
In the face of claims by some parents and newspapers that Mr Blair has
a duty to say whether he and his wife Cherie have acted on official
advice to give their son the vaccine, the prime minister is adamant
that his children's privacy comes first.
Mr Blair this week told Tory MP Julie Kirkbride, whose baby did not
have the MMR jab: "I'm afraid I'm not going to enter into any public
discussion of the health of my children."
Downing Street is fearful that such a disclosure would lead to further
demands for intimate details about ministers' family health policies -
ranging from safe sex practices for their teenage children to the
toxic shock controversy surrounding tampons.
Ministers cite the public horror when John Gummer, the then Tory
agriculture minister, publicly fed his daughter a beefburger to show
that he believed British beef to be safe.
One minister said: "You start off answering questions about your kid's
immunisation record and you end up with the spectacle of ministers
feeding beefburgers to their kids in front of the TV cameras."
The failure to match Mr Gummer's gesture - which turned out to
symbolise misplaced confidence - has led to claims that Leo Blair must
have had his jabs privately and separately. No 10 insists it is
refusing to rise to the bait as a matter of principle.
Alan Milburn, the health secretary who also has young children, shares
Mr Blair's view and his indignation at the kind of trial-by-media
which saw the junior health minister Jacqui Smith cross-examined by
John Humphrys on Radio 4's Today programme.
The interviewer accused Ms Smith, who has two sons, of taking a
"holier than thou position" when she refused to answer questions on
whether they had been given the vaccination.
"Can you not see how worrying it is for people who are agonising ...
over this decision? They are absolutely terrified. They don't know
whether to do it. And ministers in the health department, such as
yourself, are not prepared to say: 'Look it is so safe ... that I'm
prepared to have my own children done.'"
Ms Smith said she supported government policy on MMR, but refused at
least 10 attempts by Humphrys to get her to talk about her children's
vaccination record.
Department of Health sources later said the exchanges breached an
understanding that she would be questioned only on her
responsibilities for social workers.
Health officials said 84% of children have had the MMR jab by the age
of two, and that 92% have had at least one dose by five years.
Referring to the British doctor who raised the MMR alarm, one
Whitehall source said: "You can't have a scientist whom the rest of
the world thinks is completely wrong dictating health policy. What if
we moved to single injections and had a Japanese-style epidemic? I
don't think so."
Editor Commentary: I agree Public should leave him alone. He should have reason
to be concerned. Anyone reading the testmony of the congressional hearing held
last april or have seen the reports by Andreww Wakefield certainly seen reason
for concern. Many individuals with children with autism can see the connection.
Even prominatnt doctors, researchers, and congressional body are showing grave
concern for childhood vaccines. Until thimerisol and mercury are removed there
will be a growing concern and more and more families making very careful
decissions on single dose vaccines or no vaccines. If you want more information
on your state laws regarding vaccine exemptions see below and click on link to
your state.
By: LD Wedewer
******************************
State Laws For Vaccine Examption
All States have a Medical Exemption. In addition, all States
have a Religious
Exemption except Mississipi and West Virginia, although many Religious
Exemptions are written broadly . Finally, states below with a (*) have a
Philosophical Exemption. Please read the VIA Disclaimer.
However, the laws constantly change, visit FindLaw or WashLaw
Web to get the current immunization requirements for your state.
Also, the following page gives more information on
Vaccine
Exemptions.
To find out more now click on your state and view your state law of exemption.
Alabama Alaska Arizona* Arkansas
California*
Colorado* Connecticut
Delaware Florida Georgia
Hawaii Idaho* Illinois
Indiana Iowa
Kansas Kentucky Louisiana* Maine * Maryland
Massachusetts Michigan* Minnesota* Mississippi
Missouri
Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey
New Mexico * New
York North Carolina
North Dakota Ohio *
Oklahoma * Oregon
Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina
South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah * Vermont*
Virginia Washington* Washington,DC
West Virginia Wisconsin*
Wyoming
Puerto Rico Guam
http://autismawakeninginia.bizland.com/immunizationsaparentschoicestatebystateexemptionlaws/
******************************
Autism
Chat Cancelled - See at the new year
Hello Fellow Parent Soupers:
The Autism Spectrum Disorders chat for 12/24/01 will be cancelled in order to
allow us to spend time with our families on Christmas Eve and for 12/31/01 as
we bring in the new year on New Year's Eve.
We will reconvene on Monday, January 7, 2002 where we can have LOADS to talk
about as two holidays will have past! I hope to see all of you there!
~~~~~~~~~~~¤~~~~~~~~~~~
HOST PS Tam
Community Leader - Chat
Host
My Homepage - Blake's
Mom's Site
Make Parent Soup A Favorite
Place
iVillage.com:
The Women's Network
Developmental
Delays
Sunday 10pm ET PS Live Events Chat
Room
PS Casual Chat Room
Monday
10am ET
PS Casual Chat Room
Monday
11am ET
Autism
Spectrum Disorders Monday 10pm ET PS Souper Events Chat Room
PS Parlour Chat Room Monday
11pm ET
******************************
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ALL
INFORMATION, DATA, AND MATERIAL CONTAINED, PRESENTED, OR PROVIDED HERE IS FOR
GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS REFLECTING THE
KNOWLEDGE OR OPINIONS OF THE PUBLISHER, AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED OR INTENDED
AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR LEGAL ADVICE. THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO
VACCINATE IS AN IMPORTANT AND COMPLEX ISSUE AND SHOULD BE MADE BY YOU, AND YOU
ALONE, IN CONSULTATION WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.