QuickStart, in partnership with the Ottawa Children's Treatment Centre (OCTC), provides early intervention for children prior to a formal diagnosis of autism.
Since the launch of their Getting Started Services in October 2007, children receive help and support as soon as their parents become concerned.
Getting Started Services provides preliminary screening of your child, followed by one-on-one appointments with a professional who will teach
and demonstrate strategies to help you work with your child. Tips, guides and resources are presented onsite. QuickStart also recommends thimerosal-free vaccines
and spreading out the vaccinations your child receives.
The Autism Mom's Survival Guide Stephanie Hemenway (2009:180pp) Amazon.ca Amazon.com
Healing The New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies: The Ground- breaking Program for the 4-A Disorders Kevin Bock MD, Cameron Stauth (2008:480pp) Amazon.ca Amazon.com Chapters
The UltraMind Solution: Fix Your Broken Brain by Healing Your Body First [Includes autism info] Mark Hyman MD (2008:464pp) Amazon.ca Amazon.com Chapters
Changing the Course of Autism: A Scientific Approach to Treating Your Autistic Child Bryan Jepson MD, Jane Johnson (2007:358pp) Amazon.ca Amazon.com Chapters
Ten Things Your Student with Autism Wishes You Knew (Second Edition) Ellen Notbohm (2006:117pp) Amazon.ca Amazon.com Chapters
Thinking in Pictures: My Life with Autism (Expanded Edition) Temple Grandin (2006:270pp) Amazon.ca Amazon.com Chapters
1001 Great Ideas for Teaching and Raising Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders Veronica Zysk, Ellen Notbohm (2004:218pp) Amazon.ca Amazon.com Chapters
Diet & Nutrition
Special-Needs Kids Eat Right: Strategies to Help Kids on the Autism Spectrum Focus, Learn, and Thrive Judy Converse MPH RD LD (2009:307pp) Amazon.ca Amazon.com Chapters
Children with Starving Brains: A Medical Treatment Guide for Autism Spectrum Disorder (Fourth Edition) Jaquelyn McCandless MD, Teresa Binstock, Jack Zimmerman (2009:407pp) Amazon.ca Amazon.com
The Autism & ADHD Diet: A Step-by-Step Guide to Hope and Healing by Living Gluten Free and Casein Free (GFCF) and Other Interventions Barrie Silberberg (2009:256pp) Amazon.ca Amazon.com chapters.indigo.ca
The Kid-Friendly ADHD & Autism Cookbook, Updated and Revised: The Ultimate Guide to the Gluten-Free, Casein-Free Diet Pamela Compart, Dana Laake (2009:352pp) Amazon.ca Amazon.com Chapters
Autism Diet:
Donna Gates &
N. Campbell-McBride MD
(1 of 6)
Gut and Psychology Syndrome: Natural Treatment for Autism, Dyspraxia, A.D.D., Dyslexia, A.D.H.D., Depression, Schizophrenia Natasha Campbell-McBride (2004:266pp) Amazon.ca Amazon.com
Unraveling the Mystery of Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorder: A Mother's Story of Research & Recovery Karyn Seroussi (2002:304pp) Amazon.ca Amazon.com Chapters
GFCF Diet Alternative
Enzymes for Autism and Other Neurological Conditions: A Practical Guide for Digestive Enzymes and Better Behavior (Updated Third Edition) Karen Defelice (2008:384pp) Amazon.ca Amazon.com
The robot Keepon™ (developed by Hideki Kozima and programmed by Marek Michalowski) dances to the song "I Turn My Camera On" by the band Spoon. (27.03.07)
Two years ago, a yellow spongiform robot named Keepon became a minor YouTube sensation when one of its creators programmed it to do a squishy, twisty dance in time to the Spoon
song "I Turn My Camera On." The video has garnered more than 2 million hits. Now Keepon's keepers, Marek Michalowski, a Ph.D student in robotics at Carnegie Mellon University,
and Hideki Kozima of Miyagi University in Japan, are turning Keepon's attention to a more serious task: to study how children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) interact
socially and to see if the robot may be able to help in therapy.
Keepon is just one of the many new robots that researchers are using to study and to help children with ASD. The robots do everything from studying the children's social
interactions and their emotional states to drawing them out socially.
Children with ASD often have trouble with the "dance" of body language and facial gestures needed to have successful conversations and social contact with others. Both
reading the intentions of others and knowing their own emotions can be a struggle, and children often become stranded both emotionally and socially.
One baby in every 150 born today in the U.S. is diagnosed with ASD. Treatment involves a combination of therapies -- behavioral, educational, physical, occupational,
and speech -- that is costly and not always effective. After finding that children with ASD interact more easily with robots than with people, researchers began developing
expressive and interactive robots that can assist them in studying and creating effective therapy for the children.
Keepon's gentle boogieing and its simple, innocuous appearance (five inches tall, rubbery, resembling two tennis balls stacked one on top of the other) make it
perfect for interacting with socially withdrawn children. Armless and legless and only possessing two eyes and a nose, Keepon expresses itself mainly through
its four movements: nodding, turning, rocking and bobbing.
However, Keepon does have a camera behind those eyes and a microphone hidden in its nose. Researchers Michalowski and Kozima have studied preschool children with
ASD in Japan and have found that interacting with the robots draws the children into a range of new social behaviors. Videos of those encounters show the children
feeding Keepon imaginary food, giving it imaginary medicine when it has a Band-Aid on its head, and protecting it against abuse by other children.
Keepon™ is designed to interact with children by communicating attention
and emotion in the simplest and most comprehensible way. (12.08.07)
The most striking video shows one girl slowly forging a relationship with the robot. At first she refuses to even directly look at Keepon, but as the days go on, she
draws closer to the robot, eventually touching it with a xylophone stick, then her hand. After weeks, she can be seen looking into Keepon's eyes, putting a hat on it,
and even giving it a kiss, an action she rarely performed even towards her own mother. [...] [Read More]
Keepon™ dances to the Spoon song "Don't You Evah." Directed by Jeff Nichols and produced by WIRED Magazine.
(4 May 2008)
Last Updated: 5 March 2009
Autism & Neurodevelopmental Disorders Causative Factors, Early Detection, and Interventions:
Notes and References
This page presents selected notes, references and resources regarding the causation, diagnosis and treatment of autism and neurodevelopmental disorders
in childhood. Thimerosal, immunization schedules, toxic chemical exposure, biomedical problems and genetic factors are considered, as well as
dietary and nutritional strategies, novel interventions, early detection and support services in the Ottawa region and elsewhere. Selected clinical studies and reviews are
provided with respect to the neurodevelopmental impact of mercury and other heavy metals.
For selected websites and books, including books on the Gluten-Free, Casein-Free Diet and an alternative to GFCF, see left column.
Leila Masson MD is a Harvard-trained paediatrician who specializes in the biomedical treatment of autism and ADHD; she treats children with autism spectrum disorders, ADHD, behaviour problems,
allergies and eczema. Her approach is natural and holistic, looking at nutrition, nutritional deficiencies, and the environment of the child. In the following interview, she
discusses autism and her work. She talks about what autism is, what the likely causes are, what role vaccinations may play, and the various treatment modalities which have shown
the most promise. You can read more about Dr. Masson's work at her website. 21 July 2009 — 34:56
The Thimerosal Controversy
In their updated statement on Mercury and Vaccines (Thimerosal),
the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) asserts that there is "no convincing scientific evidence of harm caused by the low doses of thimerosal in vaccines,
except for minor reactions like redness and swelling at the injection site", then adds that "in July 1999,
the Public Health Service agencies, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and vaccine manufacturers agreed
that thimerosal should be reduced or eliminated in vaccines as a precautionary measure".
However, in July 1999, the Public Health Service agencies, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and vaccine manufacturers agreed that thimerosal should be reduced or
eliminated in vaccines as a precautionary measure. Since 2001, with the exception of some influenza (flu) vaccines, thimerosal is not used as a preservative in routinely recommended childhood vaccines. For more information, please see
Infant and Environmental Exposures to Thimerosal and Neuropsychological Outcomes at Ages 7 to 10 Years. — idem
CDC also cites the 2004 report of the Immunization Safety Review Committee, Institute of Medicine (IOM), which "concludes that
the body of epidemiological evidence favors rejection of a causal relationship between the MMR vaccine and autism" and
"rejection of a causal relationship between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism".
These assertions notwithstanding, there remains controversy (5.09). Almost 4,900 suits have been filed by families convinced
that vaccines have caused or contributed to neurological problems or autism in their children.3 While the specific etiology of autism is not yet known, and whereas
most accept that the numbers are on the rise, there is some debate as to whether the increase in diagnoses is (1) the result of an environmental cause — such as thimerosal-containing vaccines,
the frequency of vaccinations in childhood, exposure to hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) or other chemical toxins, or (2) an artifact of greater surveillance and broader diagnostic frameworks —
"autism" → "autism spectrum disorder" (see, e.g., The Increase in Autism Diagnoses: Two Hypotheses, Steven
Novella, Science-Based Medicine (16.04.08).
As toxicologist Mona Sethi Gupta (2008) writes, however, even in the latter case, "it is becoming increasingly apparent that environmental
neurotoxins in combination with genetic predispositions could also create adverse gene-environment interactions". 10
The concensus, at this point, is that thimerosal-containing vaccines are not the causative factor.
"It's not a medical or scientific controversy; it's a cultural controversy," says Paul Orfitt, MD, chief of the Section of Infectious Diseases at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "The
science has exonerated vaccines. First, there was the hypothesis that the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine caused autism. That was tested in the only way you can test it, which is to look at
hundreds of thousands of children who did or didn't receive that vaccine to see whether the risk of autism was greater in the vaccinated group. It wasn't again and again and again. There have
been 12 studies that have looked at that."
Nevertheless, given the choice between a thimerosal-containing and a thimerosal-free vaccine, it seems prudent to opt for the latter.
A CBC Ideas Feature on Autism Spectrum Disorder
Leo Kanner (1943) first described what we now call autism in a paper entitled Autistic Disturbances of Affective Contact (Nervous Child 2. 1943:217-250).
Kanner identified a pattern of behaviors he observed among a group of children in his practice, and his work remains an instructive overview of autistic symptoms. Only recently has autism been understood as the core of a
spectrum disorder, a group of disorders with similar features. Autism is now recognized in one out of 150 children. Genetic
components and environmental triggers have become the focus of investigation, as have epigenetic influences — factors affecting gene expression. The following CBC Ideas feature provides an overview of this
complex disorder, with interviews and personal stories.
Source: The Dark End Of The Spectrum
CBC Radio, Ideas, with host Paul Kennedy. Episode 1 aired on 24 July 2009; episode 2 aired on 31 July 2009.
The Ideas Dark End Of The Spectrum page also provides a very useful book list and online resources.
For parents of autistic children, the realization often comes slowly. A worry, a pang, a sinking feeling when trying to play with the new baby, who seems - uninterested, even unreachable.
What could be wrong? If it is, in fact, autism, it is not the end, but the beginning of a journey.
First seen as a medical oddity, the story of autism is both fascinating and troubling. Autism was first described and named in the 1940s, in the heyday of psychoanalysis. Brilliant and
charismatic doctors concluded the disorder was caused by nurture – not nature. In short, it was the parents' fault. They were branded with the heartless label: "refrigerator mothers."
Bernice Landry explores how our understanding of autism has taken an about-face in recent years. Scientists and an army of activist parents are beginning to make up for lost time, to shine new
light on the darkest secrets of our genes.
In episode 2 we hear the story of Darius McCollum, a serial impersonator whose obsession with trains has lead him to spend much of his life in jail. Darius has been diagnosed with Aspergers
Syndrome, a version of autism.
CBC Ideas — The Dark End Of The Spectrum Episode One:
CBC Ideas — The Dark End Of The Spectrum Episode Two:
Conclusions/Significance
This study provides strong evidence against association of autism with persistent MV RNA in the GI tract or MMR exposure. Autism
with GI disturbances is associated with elevated rates of regression in language or other skills and may represent an endophenotype
distinct from other ASD.
[...] But the Autism Society of America cautioned that the cause of autism is complex and more research is needed to
fully understand the role, if any, of the vaccine.
Another autism advocacy group, the National Autism Association (NAA), said the study is flawed.
"This new study does nothing to resolve the controversy whether MMR vaccine has contributed to the autism epidemic,"
said a press release from the group.
Wendy Fournier, an NAA spokeswoman, told CNN Thursday that the new study raises more questions than answers and should
have looked at more children who developed autism and GI problems after they received the vaccine.
Only 5 children in the Columbia study were vaccinated before they developed GI symptoms and autism.
According to the CDC, measles is a highly infectious disease that can result in severe, sometimes permanent, complications --
even death. Measles remains widespread in most countries, but widespread vaccination has limited its spread in the United States.
Some parents, familiar with the Wakefield theory's putative link between vaccine and autism, have chosen not to vaccinate their
children. Last month, the CDC reported 131 cases of measles in the United States in the first seven months of the year, of which
112 were either among unvaccinated children or children whose vaccination status was unknown [...]
The Government announced Jobcentre Plus staff are to receive autism training in the adult autism strategy published on 3rd March. The National Autistic Society (NAS) celebrated the move, in response ...
A new study suggests a trend toward developing hyperactivity among typically developing elementary-school-aged siblings of autistic preschoolers and supports the notion that mothers of young, ...
Thousands will unite for autism at the 8th annual Los Angeles Walk Now for Autism Speaks at the Pasadena Rose Bowl, Saturday, April 24, 2010. Powered by volunteers and families with loved ones on ...
Angelman Syndrome is a rare but serious genetic disorder that causes a constellation of developmental problems in affected children, including mental retardation, lack of speech, and in some cases, ...
The National Autistic Society (NAS) welcomed a raft of new measures in the landmark adult autism strategy published today aimed at tackling the isolation, ignorance and inequality routinely ...
Asuragen, Inc. announced the results of a collaborative study with scientists at the M.I.N.D. Institute at the University of California Davis evaluating a new PCR technology that reproducibly reports ...
Scientists at the Queensland Brain Institute have uncovered a vital clue into how the brain is wired, which could eventually steer research into nervous system disorders such as Parkinson's disease ...
For the second time in as many months the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) has signed a licensing agreement with US-based Athena Diagnostics Inc. to market a new genetic test. The test ...
In a letter to the Chairmen and Ranking Members of House and Senate Committees charged with oversight of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Coalition for Vaccine Safety (CVS) is ...
A new study by researchers from the University of Miami shows that maternal sensitivity may influence language development among children who go on to develop autism. Although parenting styles are ...
A paper published online in Molecular Cell proposes that Methyl CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2) impacts the entire genome in neurons, rather than acting as a regulator of specific genes. Mutations in ...
Scientists have pinpointed how a key hormone helps animals to recognise others by their smell. Researchers at the University of Edinburgh have shown that the hormone vasopressin helps the brain ...
For information regarding the Wakefield Theory, see:
Brian Deer: the Wakefield factor (Part 1) In February 1998, the Lancet medical journal triggered a global alarm with research proposing a link between
the measles, mumps and rubella triple vaccine and autism. The researchers' leader, Andrew Wakefield called for the vaccine to be
"suspended". Six years later, Brian Deer investigated for The Sunday Times of London and Channel 4 television.
Thimerosal exposure in infants and neurodevelopmental disorders: An assessment of computerized
medical records in the Vaccine Safety Datalink.
Young HA, Geier DA, Geier MR.
The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, United States.
J Neurol Sci. (14.05.08)
The study evaluated possible associations between neurodevelopmental disorders (NDs) and exposure to mercury (Hg) from
Thimerosal-containing vaccines (TCVs) by examining the automated Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD). A total of 278,624 subjects
were identified in birth cohorts from 1990-1996 that had received their first oral polio vaccination by 3 months of age
in the VSD. The birth cohort prevalence rate of medically diagnosed International Classification of Disease, 9th revision
(ICD-9) specific NDs and control outcomes were calculated. Exposures to Hg from TCVs were calculated by birth cohort for
specific exposure windows from birth-7 months and birth-13 months of age. Poisson regression analysis was used to model
the association between the prevalence of outcomes and Hg doses from TCVs. Consistent significantly increased rate ratios
were observed for autism, autism spectrum disorders, tics, attention deficit disorder, and emotional disturbances with Hg
exposure from TCVs. By contrast, none of the control outcomes had significantly increased rate ratios with Hg exposure
from TCVs. Routine childhood vaccination should be continued to help reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with
infectious diseases, but efforts should be undertaken to remove Hg from vaccines. Additional studies should be conducted
to further evaluate the relationship between Hg exposure and NDs.
Gov't: Girl's Autism-Like Symptoms Linked to Vaccines: Federal Officials Say Vaccines Worsened Condition That Led to Autism Spectrum Disorder in Georgia Girl
Kathleen Doheny, WebMD Medical News
March 6, 2008 -- Federal officials say a Georgia girl is entitled to compensation from a federal vaccine injury fund because
she developed autism-like symptoms after receiving childhood vaccines in 2000. Hannah's father, Jon, tells WebMD he was not surprised
by the compensation decision. "When you are talking about the courtroom versus science,
the burden of proof is different," Poling says. "(But) we showed there was a plausible mechanism. We showed that an injury occurred
shortly after her vaccination. Her growth curve went flat for months."
The government has not said that childhood vaccines cause autism; rather, officials conclude that the vaccines given to the girl
in 2000 aggravated a pre-existing condition -- a mitochondrial disorder -- that then manifested as a regressive neurological
disease with some symptoms of autism spectrum disorder. [...] [Read More]
And See:
Special report: Vaccines and autism
Health Check 10, turnto10.com, Providence, RI (16.05.08)
[...] Overall, nearly 4,900 families have filed claims with the U.S. Court of Claims alleging that vaccines caused autism and
other neurological problems in their children. Lawyers for the families are presenting three different theories of how vaccines
caused autism. The theory at issue Monday was whether vaccines containing the preservative thimerosal caused autism.
Lynn Ricciardella, a Justice Department lawyer, said that theory has not moved beyond the realm of speculation. She said that the Institute of Medicine and the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention have rejected any link between thimerosal and autism. [...]
Recommended Immunization Schedule for Persons Aged 0–6 Years — US • 2008
Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Recommended Immunization Schedules for Persons Aged 0–18 Years are approved by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (www.cdc.gov/vaccines/recs/acip),
the American Academy of Pediatrics (http://www.aap.org), and the American Academy of Family Physicians (http://www.aafp.org).
Early Downward Trends in Neurodevelopmental Disorders Following Removal of Thimerosal-Containing Vaccines
David A. Geier BA, Mark R. Geier, MD PhD.
Journal of the American Physicians and Surgeons Vol.11. No.1 (Spring 2006) Autism Rates Drop After Mercury Removed From Childhood Vaccines
Summary Article, Medical News Today (3.03.06)
[...] 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."
Thimerosal and Autism Paul A. Offit, MD, Director, Vaccine Education Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (March 2006)
Vaccines and Autism: What you should know
Vaccine Education Center at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia® (Summer 2008)
[...] In 1999, professional groups called
for thimerosal to be removed from vaccines as a precaution.
Unfortunately, the precipitous removal of thimerosal from
all but some multidose preparations of influenza vaccine
scared some parents. Clinicians were also confused by the
recommendation.
Since the removal of thimerosal, six studies have been
performed to determine whether thimerosal causes autism.
Again, hundreds of thousands of children who received
thimerosal-containing vaccines were compared to hundreds
of thousands of children who received the same vaccines free
of thimerosal. The results were clear: The risk of autism was
the same in both groups. [...]
Poisoned Nation: Pollution Greed, and the Rise of Deadly Epidemics
Loretta Schwartz-Nobel, NY: St. Martin's Press, 2007:95
According to Dr. Hugh Fundenburg, one of the most quoted biologists of our time, with nearly 850 papers in peer review journals,
it isn't just children who are at risk. Fundenburg writes that "if an adult receives too many consecutive flu shots containing
thimerosal, his or her chance of developing Alzheimer's disease is ten times greater than if he or she had one, two, or no shots."
When asked why this was so, Dr. Fundenburg stated that "the gradual mercury and aluminum buildup in the brain causes eventual
cognitive dysfunction."
Schwartz-Nobel is an award-winning investigate journalist. In her chapter entitled The Autism Epidemic, the
author presents a damning indictment of the Bush administration, the CDC, and behind-the-scenes politics regarding the thimerosal
controversy (pp.85-101). Cf. below: CDC, FDA and SafeMinds.org. The CDC makes the following
statement in its Inactivated Influenza Vaccine: What You Need To Know 2007-2008 advisory:
Some inactivated influenza vaccine contains thimerosal, a preservative that contains mercury. Some people believe
thimerosal may be related to developmental problems in children. In 2004 the Institute of Medicine published a
report concluding that, based on scientific studies, there is no evidence of such a relationship. If you are concerned
about thimerosal, ask your doctor about thimerosal-free influenza vaccine.
SAFEMINDS ALERT: FLU VACCINES — WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Thimerosal is a mercury-based preservative developed in the 1930s that has been used in as many as 50 vaccines. In the 1982 Federal Register,
an expert panel at the FDA reviewed thimerosal and found that it was toxic, caused cell death and
called for its removal in over the counter products. In 2001 the Institute of Medicine, in reviewing the
use of thimerosal in vaccines, recommended that "government agencies give full consideration to
removing thimerosal from all vaccines administered to infants, children or pregnant women." You can request thimerosal-free vaccines from
your healthcare provider. SafeMinds recommends contacting your health care provider well in
advance to ask specifically for a thimerosal-free vaccine.
The Coalition for SafeMinds (Sensible Action for Ending Mercury-Induced Neurological
Disorders) is a private nonprofit organization founded to investigate and raise awareness
of the risks to infants and children of exposure to mercury from medical products,
including thimerosal in vaccines. Since its inception in 2000, SafeMinds has
sponsored almost one million dollars in research related specifically to mercury and
adverse neurological outcomes, including autism. This level of financial commitment
establishes SafeMinds as the largest private non-profit organization funding mercury and
autism related research. For more information please visitsafeminds.org
hepatitis B (available free to children only in some provinces and territories)
Haemophilus influenzae type b disease
For immunization of infants against hepatitis B, parents or guardians in some provinces and territories have
the choice of a thimerosal-free vaccine.
Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Children: Autism and ADHD
Mona Sethi Gupta, PhD (Toxicologist), Environmental Chemistry (15.04.08)
[...] Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired social interaction as well as verbal and non-verbal
communication. There are various degrees of severity involved in this disorder. Therefore, this condition is commonly
referred to as "autism spectrum disorders" or ASD which include autism, Asperger's syndrome, pervasive developmental
disorders not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) and high-functioning autism. Statistics based on data gathered in 2002
indicates that more than 550,000 children are affected by varying degrees of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). In fact,
it has been reported that autism is the fastest growing developmental disability, increasing at a rate of 10 to 17 percent
annually according to the Autism Society of America. While improved diagnostic measures may contribute to the perceived
increase in the number of cases, it is becoming increasingly apparent that environmental neurotoxins in combination with
genetic predispositions could also create adverse gene-environment interactions.
Surveys conducted in California indicate an almost 210% increase in the number of cases of autism in children over the past
10 years. There is increasing concern that certain chemicals (such as mercury, halogenated aromatics and pesticides) and biotic
factors (such as vaccine antigens) may act synergistically to alter certain susceptibility or genetic risk factors to result
in ASD. The UC Davis Center for Children's Environmental Health has established the first large scale epidemiological study
to investigate the underlying causes of autism. The UC Davis researchers at the Children's center have suggested an association
between thimerosal (ethyl mercury) and immune system dysfunction in mice. In a recent study, Windham et. al. (2006) explored
the possible association between ASD and environmental exposures to hazardous air pollutants in the San Francisco Bay area. Based
on the data from the study, the authors suggested that living in areas with higher ambient levels of HAPs [Hazardous Air Pollutants], especially metals and
chlorinated solvents, during pregnancy or early childhood could be associated with a moderately increased risk of autism. This
study highlighted the need for more complex etiologic studies combining exposure to multiple compounds by various pathways with
genetic information to further understand the contribution of environmental exposures to the development of autism. [...][Read More]
Developmental neurotoxicity of industrial chemicals
Dr, Prof P Grandjean MD, Prof PJ Landrigan MD
The Lancet. DOI:10.1016/S0140-6736(06)69665-7
And see: Potentials for exposure to industrial chemicals suspected of causing developmental neurotoxicity Development Of Children's Brains Threatened By Industrial Chemicals
Summary Article, Medical News Today (8.11.06) [...] Grandjean suspects there may be a silent pandemic of brain development disorders which start even before babies leave the womb. If little is known about many chemicals, perhaps their effects are even worse than we currently suspect, say the scientists. The
researchers said that more stringent controls on their limits should be imposed until we know more about their effects on the
developing brain. Pregnant women and young children are uniquely sensitive to chemicals, say the researchers - limits should take
this into account. The report states that 1-in-6 children has a developmental disability, which mostly affect the nervous system. The prevention of
neurodevelopmental disabilities is hampered by the great gaps in testing chemicals for developmental neurotoxicity and the high
level of proof needed for regulation. Industrial chemicals we do know about, such as lead, are known to cause fetal brain injury at significantly lower doses than
for adults. Consequently, we have lowered the lead content of gas (petrol). Even so, successful campaigns came about after long
delays, say Grandjean and co-author Dr. Philip Landrigan, Department of Community Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, NY, USA. There are thousands of chemicals which are registered for commercial use - in 1981 the EU had 100,000 of them registered, while
the USA had 80,000. Under half of all chemicals most commonly used in commerce have had token lab tests. The researchers fear
that the few chemicals we do know about, regarding harm to brain development, could be just the tip of a gigantic iceberg.
EWG || Human Toxome Project
Just as scientists raced to define the human genome, the Human Toxome Project (HTP) at Environmental Working Group
is working to define the human toxome-the full scope of industrial pollution in humanity. HTP scientists use cutting edge
biomonitoring techniques to test for industrial chemicals like bisphenol A and perchlorate that enter the body through pollution
or even as ingredients in everyday consumer products.
The ability to detect autism in children as young as nine months of age has sparked immediate and widespread interest
in the media. The Early Autism Study, led by Mel Rutherford,
associate professor of psychology in the Faculty of Science's Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, has
been using eye tracker technology that measures eye direction while the babies look at faces, eyes and bouncing balls
on a computer screen.
Forty-five babies were tested in the study at three, six, nine and 12 months of age. The babies were shown four sets of pictures --
a clear face beside a scrambled face, a direct gaze beside an indirect gaze, bouncing balls interacting with each other versus
balls not interacting and a face on its own to determine whether the baby would look at the eyes or the mouth. Based on the trials,
a child with autistic leanings is more likely to look at the scrambled face, the indirect gaze, the independent balls, and the mouth.
"In each case, the typically developing child is attracted to the social stimuli," Rutherford explained.[1]
[...] "What's important about this study is that now we can distinguish between a group of siblings with autism from a group with no
autism -- at nine months and 12 months," says Rutherford. "I can do this in 10 minutes, and it is objective, meaning that the
only measure is eye direction; it's not influenced by a clinician's report or by intuition. Nobody's been able to distinguish
between these groups at so early an age." [Read More]
