Natural Family News

Medical Journal: Autism Rates Decline as Mercury Removed from Childhood Vaccines
Independent Analysis Refutes Institute of Medicine Claims of “No Relationship,” While Mercury Still Used in Flu & Other Vaccines

TUCSON, AZ — A new study shows that autism may be linked after all to the use of mercury in childhood vaccines, despite government’s previous claims to the contrary.

An article in the March 10, 2006 issue of the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons (JPandS.org) shows that since mercury was removed from childhood vaccines, the alarming increase in reported rates of autism and other neurological disorders (NDs) in children not only stopped, but actually dropped sharply – by as much as 35%.

Using the government’s own databases, independent researchers analyzed reports of childhood NDs, including autism, before and after removal of mercury-based preservatives. Authors David A. Geier, B.A. and Mark R. Geier, M.D., Ph.D. analyze data from the CDC’s Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) and the California Department of Developmental Services (CDDS) in “Early Downward Trends in Neurodevelopmental Disorders Following Removal of Thimerosal-Containing Vaccines.”

The numbers from California show that reported autism rates hit a high of 800 in May 2003. If that trend had continued, the reports would have skyrocketed to more than 1000 by the beginning of 2006. But in fact, the Geiers report that the number actually went down to only 620, a real decrease of 22%, and a decrease from the projections of 35%.

This analysis directly contradicts 2004 recommendations of the Institute of Medicine which examined vaccine safety data from the National Immunization Program (NIP) of the CDC. While not willing to either rule out or to corroborate a relationship between mercury and autism, the IOM soft-pedaled its findings, and decided no more studies were needed. The authors write: “The IOM stated that the evidence favored rejection of a causal relationship between thimerosal and autism, that such a relationship was not biologically plausible, and that no further studies should be conducted to evaluate it.”

As more and more vaccines were added to the mandatory schedule of vaccines for children, the dose of the mercury-based preservative thimerosal rose, so that the cumulative dose injected into babies exceeded the toxic threshold set by many government agencies. Mercury is known to damage nerve cells in very low concentrations.

The concern about vaccines may actually be underrated, as it is generally acknowledged that the voluntary reporting of such disorders has resulted in vast underreporting of new cases. For example, the Iowa state legislature banned thimerosal from all vaccines administered there after it documented a 700-fold increase in that state alone. California followed suit, and 32 states are considering doing so. Up until about 1989 pre-school children got only 3 vaccines (polio, DPT, MMR). By 1999 the CDC recommended a total of 22 vaccines to be given before children reach the 1st grade, including Hepatitis B, which is given to newborns within the first 24 hours of birth. Many of these vaccines contained mercury. In the 1990s approximately 40 million children were injected with mercury-containing vaccines.

The cumulative amount of mercury being given to children in this number of vaccines would be an amount 187 times the EPA daily exposure limit

Between 1989 and 2003, there has been an explosion of autism. The incidence of autism (and other related disorders) went from about 1 in 2,500 children to 1 in every 166. Currently there are more than a half million children in the U.S. that have autism. This disorder has devastated families.

In 1999, on the recommendation of the American Academy of Pediatrics and U.S. Public Health Service, thimerosal was removed from most childhood vaccines as a “precautionary” measure – i.e. without admitting to any causal link between thimerosal and autism.

The Geiers conclude that mercury continues to be a concern, as it is still added to some of the most commonly-used vaccines, such as those for flu:

“Despite its removal from many childhood vaccines, thimerosal is still routinely added to some formulations of influenza vaccine administered to U.S. infants, as well as to several other vaccines (e.g. tetanus-diphtheria and monovalent tetanus) administered to older children and adults. In 2004, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (NAS) retreated from the stated 1999 goal of the AAP and the PHS to remove thimerosal from U.S. vaccines as soon as possible…As a result, assessing the safety of TCVs [thimerosal-containing vaccines] is a matter of significant importance.”
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NOTE: The Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons is the peer-reviewed quarterly journal of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS), a non-partisan professional association founded in 1943.

Prepublication copy of article posted here which includes links to the VAERS and CDDS databases.

Australian coaches are encouraging netballer (is that volleyball) Janine Ilitch to give up nursing her 6 month old baby before competing in the Commonwealth Games.

Really, what business is it of theirs? She isn’t planning to take the baby with her. She plans to pump. They are “concerned” that she will lose too much weight, but I have a hard time believing that’s truly what’s behind this. Maybe they just don’t like the image of one of their athletes expressing milk. I just can’t believe that this is being made into such a big issue.

A recent study shows that toddlers as young as 18 months will help others out of empathy, rather than a desire for praise.

Presumably, they are more likely to exhibit this behavior if they’ve been exposed to it in their lives, but I had some questions after reading the study. I wonder what different backgrounds the children came from. Is this something genetically encoded or something that is behavioral, in nature? Would children raised with attachment parenting be more likely to show this empathy? If they’re less likely or no more likely, what, if anything would that say about attachment parenting?

What do you think?

If you’re in Los Angeles, you can now rent a car fueled by biodiesel (basically, filtered vegetable oil). While biodiesel costs slightly more than regular fuel, cars can go 400-800 miles on a single tank.

Did you think we’d gone away forever? Sorry about the lag in posting. I’ve been posting my rear end off about the Olympics and I’m just now coming up for air.

I received an email from a customer today asking me about a list of food additives and their safety. In researching the answer for her, I came across a website that would be useful for most consumers. It is a listing of food additives with their safety ranking, from a green check for “it’s fine” to a big red x for things that no one should consume. Now, I must say, I still think the best rule of thumb is “if you can’t tell what it is, don’t eat it”, I know that the reality is most of us eat processed foods at some point in time, and it’s probably a good idea to be able to figure out just how bad for you a substance is before you buy it for yourself or for your kids.

I’ll be back to publishing articles much more often now that the Olympics are just about over. Oh, and if you like, check out my new vegetarian blog. I try to post a new vegetarian recipe just about every day.

Women who use the Ortho Evra patch are twice as likely as pill users to develop potentially life-threatening blood clots. The patch exposes women to higher levels of estrogen, which increases clot risks. The manufacturer will be updating the labelling on the package to reflect this new information.

Moraga, CA. (PRWEB) February 20, 2006 — Amayal Center for Health & Wellness Education announces a vitally important international conference to educate health professionals and the public about the Humanization of Birth. Monterrey, México is the conference site because Monterrey suffers from one of the highest rates of Caesarian birth in the world – up to 80% according to one Newsweek article. This 3-day Humanization of Birth Conference will be held March 20 – 22, 2006.

This conference is very reasonably priced to make it affordable for all people who are seeking a change….seeking more. The scientific evidence and practical knowledge learned will promote the humanization of the birth process in our health practices and in our lives. We welcome health professionals, perinatal educators, journalists, social scientists, students, parents, and the general public.

Continuing education credits are available for health professionals and students. Most presentations will be in English. Spanish presentations will be simultaneously translated into English. Complete information is available at www.amayal.com/congreso2006.

The Humanization of Birth conference will emphasize the profound link that exists between our birth practices and the quality of life that our babies will achieve. Can we reduce violence in our societies by offering less violent births to our children? Contrary to medical evidence, some health professionals promote aggressive surgical interventions as the best, the safest, and the most comfortable birth options. However, science now indicates that there are long-term benefits to baby, mother and society when mothers and babies are able to achieve a loving, natural, drug-free childbirth.

Our speakers are experts in their respective fields. This distinguished group of perinatal pioneers and educators include: Michel Odent, MD, (London, England); Wendy Anne McCarty, Ph D, RN, (California, USA); Ricardo Herbert Jones, MD (Porto Alegre, Brazil); Barbara Harper, R.N. (Oregon, USA); Naoli Vinaver, CPM (Xalapa, Mexico).

Join us to learn about: new, evolving birth practices; what babies are teaching us about birth; prenatal & perinatal psychology’s 30 years of clinical findings, specific steps we can take to humanize our birthing practices and to better support babies in the 21st century; review US hospitals that now provide gentle birth choices; waterbirth being practiced around the world; the Primal Health Research Data Bank – an important new tool providing the criteria necessary to evaluate the practices of obstetrics and midwifery.

Complete information is available here.

The Amayal Center for Health & Wellness Education is a non-profit organization founded out of a caring passion for the value of human life, which has motivated us to become an agent of change. Our aim is to empower people with the knowledge necessary to better control their health and to provide important therapy options that help people avoid the often toxic effects of pharmaceutical drugs and unnecessary medical interventions.

A recent study of WIC participants found that many caregivers (I guess this is the new way of saying parents) were giving their children herbs.

Quotes from the article I, personally, find disturbing:

“Nutrition professionals and WIC educators have hesitated to talk about herbs for children because they feared that it would encourage acceptance and, perhaps, cause people to start using them.”

Well, yes, I can see why WIC educators wouldn’t want to talk about herbs. I mean, why use something that’s been used for thousands of years when there’s that brand new pharmaceutical to be prescribed?

“Although most of the herbs that the participants reported giving to children were those with relatively low risk, the effects of long term use and interactions with prescription and over-the-counter medications are unknown.”

As opposed to the long term effects of those lovely prescriptions and over-the-counter medications– like Tylenol, or Motrin, or antibiotics. Those couldn’t possibly cause any long-term problems. Could they?

The Canadian equivalent of the American Academy of Pediatricians is planning to soften their stance on co-sleeping. Citing the realities that parents will co-sleep whether it’s “allowed” or not, the Canadian Pediatric Society hopes that by softening their stance, they can at least offer advice on co-sleeping safely. It’s a start. Will the AAP follow suit? Don’t hold your breath.

Flowers and chocolates are pretty standard gifts for Valentine’s Day, but many people don’t realize that they are giving gifts tainted by tainted by toxic pesticides, child slavery, and labor exploitation. The Organic Consumers Association has created a Valentine’s Day page to help consumers make wise choices about gifts for their Sweetie.

This is important news for all parents. The First Years has recalled a series of water-filled teething rings. The teething rings may contain bacteria, which could sicken infants if they swallow or absorb it through a cut in the mouth, the FDA said. The risk of illness is greatest for babies with immune systems weakened by cancer, malnutrition or other health problems.

Consumers who bought the recalled teething rings can go the company’s Web site for information on how to return the items.

I just don’t even know what to say. A recent story on a Florida televison station touted the advantages of c-sections. Rarely do I read anything that surprises me, but reading the Moms talk about needing to know when their babies would be born so that they wouldn’t be “in the middle of a project”– honestly, it sickened me. Now, I was born via section, as was my brother, but there was an honest to goodness health reason. If you can’t take out time from your busy life for the “unexpected” nature of birth, then maybe you’re just not ready to have a baby. Perhaps you should just get a fish.

My “favorite” quote was actually from a doctor:

“It’s like you have a choice for plastic surgery, or for a tummy tuck, or have a tooth replaced. I think that since this is their body they should be able to decide how they want to have this baby out,” Dr. Jack Gerkovich said.

Like I said, I just don’t know what to say.