Autism News Infuriates Me

I read another article in the paper today about how all of the concern over vaccines and autism is total "bunk" (not a direct quote). These days almost every article on the subject of Autism is dedicated to convincing people that vaccines are 100% safe and this whole thing is a total hoax. Other articles I've read from other sources imply that vaccines are somehow totally evil and should be shunned and avoided at all costs. Most every article I read on autism infuriates me, and here's why.

Vaccines have save millions of lives, if not billions, so far. I believe in saving lives. The diseases prevented by most vaccines are life-threatening or permanently debilitating. Some vaccines (HPV, varicella/chicken pox, etc.) seem to have virtually no benefit. Others (Measles, Tetanus, Typhoid, etc.) prevent potentially fatal illnesses. Any choice to not vaccinate a child is a choice that could end up killing them.

On the other hand, mercury as found in vaccines has been shown to inhibit methionine synthase(MTR) activity (Stajich GV et al., Journal of Pediatrics, 2000 and others). In chemical handling and safety courses it is emphasized that mercury can remain in the body for a number of years after exposure, which is consistent with the results of the Burbacher study in 2005. The symptoms of infant mercury poisoning, if presented, would probably be misdiagnosed as autism or an Autism Spectrum Disorder in virtually every case. The biochemical argument of a methylation disorder caused by low MTR activity from mercury poisoning is pretty compelling. Symptoms of such a methylation disorder could be misdiagnosed as autism or a related disease. One autism-like disease, Rett's syndrome, is caused by a genetic methylation disorder.

Based on these and other data, the autism-mercury hypothesis goes like this:

1. Child has some genetic disorder that makes him/her more suceptible to low methylation (i.e. MTHFR, MTR, difficulty clearing toxins, etc.)
2. Child has a diet low in nutrients required for clearing mercury, possibly due to dietary deficiencies in a breast-feeding mother (such nutrients include antioxidants, dietary fiber, sufficient calories, zinc, magnesium, etc.)
3. Mercury deposits in the brain following vaccination (see Burbacher study in 2005)
4. Mercury blocks MTR in the brain, which blocks folate in the brain
5. Low brain folate leads to decreased brain development (cells can't split as fast, can't grow as fast, etc.) and low neurotransmitter synthesis (low dopamine, serotonin, epinephrine, norepinephrine, etc.)
   
6. Decreased brain development causes slow learning, and low neurotransmitter synthesis causes altered mood, behavior and response
7. Incubate for a few months to years
8. Diagnosis of autism

The arguments against autism-mercury hypotheses tend to come from either statistical studies (which don't take into account nutrition and genetic variables, like steps 1 and 2), or from studies disproving a different hypothesis about MMR vaccines. This hypothesis has not been rigorously tested. A number of autism patients have been treated under the assumption that this hypothesis is valid. Some show no improvement. Some show great improvement. I know one who was cured. That could be a statistical fluke, but it's worth looking at in my book.

The bottom line is this. If you give your child vaccines, there is a real chance that it could trigger autism that would otherwise not get triggered. The underlying genetic and nutritional problems could manifest as other diseases later in life, but autism may be avoided. If you don't give your child vaccines, he or she could die. The more children not vaccinated, the greater the chance of each child dying. And, if the genetic and nutritional problems of a child are bad enough, even avoiding the vaccines won't save them from autism (though it might not be as severe without the vaccines).

So which is worse: having children die from a preventable disease, or having children live with a traumatizing and possibly incurable developmental disorder? That's a decision each parent has to make for his or her own children. But both sides should be presented to any parent if the parent is expected to make a good choice. I don't want the CDC or FDA deciding for me whether or not my children get vaccinated. They probably will be, but I believe there is a non-trivial risk involved. The standard vaccination schedule and regiment is good for the average kid. My family hasn't (genetically) had an average kid in generations. Parents should have the right to refusal, but they should also have enough facts to know the risks involved. And there are risks either way. That's what news articles on autism seem to forget.