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Scientists challenge claims
of steep rise in autism
(Filed: 10/09/2002)
The widely held view that
autism is on the rise in Britain, and that
the MMR vaccine may be to blame, is challenged today by a Telegraph
survey of academics and doctors.
In a straw poll of 52 autism experts, 90 per cent said
much of the apparent rise was an illusion. The majority believed autism
figures were increasing "mostly because of improved detection".
The poll also found that 92 per cent did not believe
autism was linked to the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, while a
similar number said they would be happy giving the jab to their
children.
Despite concerns over MMR, which have led to
childhood immunisation rates falling to below 75 per cent in parts
of the country, there has been little research into the incidence of
autistic spectrum disorders - the umbrella term for autism and
Asperger's syndrome.
Campaigners against the vaccine have argued that its
introduction in the 1980s coincided with a steep rise in autism in
Britain.
However, the Telegraph poll questions that assumption.
Prof Eric Hollander, the clinical director of the
Seaver Autism Research Centre at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New
York, who oversaw the poll, said: "There is a consensus in the academic
community that increased awareness and increased detection are playing a
major role in the rising number of people being evaluated these days.
"And there is a pretty strong consensus among academic
researchers and clinicians that MMR is really not the cause of this."
The email survey was sent to around 200 clinicians and
researchers, including child and adolescent psychiatrists,
paediatricians, neurologists, epidemiologists and psychologists.
All had published research on autism, spoken at autism
conferences or worked for autism clinics. Most of the replies came from
British, American and Swedish researchers.
When asked whether the number of patients with autism
had increased since 1980, 96 per cent said yes.
However, 80 per cent said this increase was "mostly"
because of improved methods of detection. Just four per cent believed it
reflected an actual rise in cases. Around 10 per cent believed it was a
roughly equal mixture of both.
Forty-eight out of the 52 researchers did not believe
the rise in autism was connected to the MMR vaccine, while the same
number said they would "feel comfortable" giving their child the jab.
Only two people thought autism and MMR were linked, while two were
undecided.
Among those who believed better detection was
responsible for most of the increase, several said there was a small,
real rise caused by environmental factors. Many were angry that the
views of a minority had dominated the debate over MMR.
Prof Chris Frith, of the Institute of Neurology at
University College London, and one of the respondents, said: "Much
publicity has been given to very flaky work.
"Apparently becoming handicapped as a result of not
having the vaccine is seen as preferable to becoming handicapped as a
result of having it. Why? Not having the vaccine is a selfish decision
which has impact on other children."
But Dr Paul Shattock, the head of autism research at
Sunderland University, said: "I see teachers and psychologists who have
no doubt that there is an increase.
"If you ask the Cambridge-London university axis then
they would say no. But if you asked the people who have to get their
hands dirty, you will get a different answer."
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