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Recent Autism News as of Mar 09, 2010
1 in 4 Parents Link Autism to Vaccines
Tue, 9 Mar 2010 08:01:38 - Pacific Time
Most parents believe that vaccines protect their children against disease, but one in four think some vaccines cause autism in healthy children, and nearly one in eight have refused at least one recommended vaccine, a new study has found. The vaccine most likely to have been rejected by parents was for human papillomavirus, or HPV, to protect against cervical cancer, according to the report. It was based on questions asked of more than 1,500 parents of children 17 and younger. Many parents also rejected the chickenpox vaccine, the meningococcal conjugate vaccine against bacterial meningitis and, to a lesser extent, the MMR, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella. Just last month, the British medical journal The Lancet retracted the 1998 study that first linked the MMR vaccine to autism and set off widespread fears about vaccine safety. "We were sobered to find that one in four parents erroneously believe that vaccines can cause autism in an otherwise healthy child,” said Dr. Gary L. Freed, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Michigan and the lead author of the paper, published online on March 1 by the journal Pediatrics. “Fortunately, they are still overwhelmingly vaccinating their children." Nine of 10 parents agreed that vaccines protected children from disease, but more than half said they were concerned about serious adverse effects. Read More...
Do Toxins Cause Autism?
Mon, 1 Mar 2010 07:00:20 - Pacific Time
Autism was first identified in 1943 in an obscure medical journal. Since then it has become a frighteningly common affliction, with the Centers for Disease Control reporting recently that autism disorders now affect almost 1 percent of children. Over recent decades, other development disorders also appear to have proliferated, along with certain cancers in children and adults. Why? No one knows for certain. The article cites “historically important, proof-of-concept studies that specifically link autism to environmental exposures experienced prenatally.” It adds that the “likelihood is high” that many chemicals “have potential to cause injury to the developing brain and to produce neurodevelopmental disorders.”Concern about toxins in the environment used to be a fringe view. But alarm has moved into the medical mainstream. Toxicologists, endocrinologists and oncologists seem to be the most concerned. Suspicions of toxins arise partly because studies have found that disproportionate shares of children develop autism after they are exposed in the womb to medications such as thalidomide (a sedative), misoprostol (ulcer medicine) and valproic acid (anticonvulsant). Of children born to women who took valproic acid early in pregnancy, 11 percent were autistic. In each case, fetuses seem most vulnerable to these drugs in the first trimester of pregnancy, sometimes just a few weeks after conception. One peer-reviewed study published this year in Environmental Health Perspectives gave a hint of the risks. Researchers measured the levels of suspect chemicals called phthalates in the urine of pregnant women. Among women with higher levels of certain phthalates (those commonly found in fragrances, shampoos, cosmetics and nail polishes), their children years later were more likely to display disruptive behavior. Read More...
Autism signs appear in babies' first year, but parents don't notice
Wed, 24 Feb 2010 06:53:09 - Pacific Time
The social disengagement that is the hallmark of autism-spectrum disorders begins to appear in the second half of a baby's first year of life, according to a new study. But California researchers found that parents typically do not notice the decline in their child's behavior until well into his or her second year. The study, published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, is among the first to glean the pattern of autism's emergence in very young children by following babies from the age of 6 months. At that age, babies who would go on to be diagnosed as autistic and babies who would develop typically showed no significant differences in social behaviors, including smiling, making eye contact and vocalizing responsively.The study calls into question the bases on which much early speculation about and research on autism and its causes have been based: parental observation. For starters, the study found little to support the observations of some parents that their baby showed symptoms of extreme social disengagement from birth. But it also cast doubt on the accuracy of parents' reports that their baby's descent into autism was sudden and dramatic. In its detailed comparison of 50 babies — half of whom would go on to be diagnosed with autism — the researchers found a steady loss of sociability and responsiveness in the babies who would progress to an autism diagnosis. Those babies' loss of social skills looked more like regression and less like a slowing of progress that allowed normally developing babies to pull far ahead of them. And that regression was most marked between 6 and 18 months, though it continued more gradually to the 3-year mark, where the study left off. But while the reduced rates of face-gazing, vocalizations and social engagement were evident to researchers who systematically evaluated the babies every six months, 83% of the parents did not observe the changes chronicled by researchers — not, at least, in the first year they were happening. Read More...
Curemark CM-AT Autism Treatment Granted FDA Fast Track Status
Mon, 22 Feb 2010 07:21:00 - Pacific Time
Curemark LLC, (www.curemark.com), a drug research and development company focused on the treatment of neurological diseases, announced that its CM-AT autism treatment, now in Phase III clinical trials, has been designated as a Fast Track drug by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Fast Track is a process designed to facilitate the development and expedite the review of drugs to treat serious diseases and those that fill an unmet medical need, providing a therapy where none exists or are potentially superior to existing therapy, according to the FDA Web site. Fast Track designation provides for early and frequent communication between the FDA and the drug company to resolve questions and issues quickly, obtaining an expedited review and faster access by patients. "We are very excited about the FDA's Fast Track designation for CM-AT," said Dr. Joan Fallon, Curemark founder and CEO. "We're making rapid progress with the CM-AT trials and being named as a Fast Track drug means that we potentially can get our autism treatment to market faster for the children and parents who will benefit from it." CM-AT is based on Dr. Fallon's breakthrough research that showed enzyme deficiencies in autistic children, resulting in an inability to digest protein. The inability to digest protein affects the production of amino acids, the building blocks of chemicals essential for brain function. CM-AT will be one of the first therapies to address the underlying physiology of autism, rather than just treat its symptoms. Curemark is conducting Phase III clinical trials for CM-AT at 12 sites across the country with a total 170 children. Ten of the sites are now enrolling patients. New data released in December by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicated that the number of children affected by autism is higher than originally thought. According to the CDC, autism affects about 1 in 110 children. Read More...
Hormone May Help Autism Symptoms
Tue, 16 Feb 2010 07:04:52 - Pacific Time
A hormone thought to encourage bonding between mothers and their babies may foster social behavior in some adults with autism, French researchers said on Monday. They found patients who inhaled the hormone oxytocin paid more attention to expressions when looking at pictures of faces and were more likely to understand social cues in a game simulation, the researchers said in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.Angela Sirigu of the Center of Cognitive Neuroscience in Lyon, who led the study, said the hormone has a therapeutic potential in adults as well as in children with autism. "For instance, if oxytocin is administered early when the diagnosis is made, we can perhaps change very early the impaired social development of autistic patients," Sirigu said in an email. Sirigu said the study focused on oxytocin because it was known to help breast-feeding mothers bond with their infants and because earlier research has shown that some children with autism have low levels of the hormone. People with Asperger's syndrome and other autism spectrum disorders often have problems with social interaction. Sirigu said oxytocin could help autism patients who have normal intellectual functions and fairly good language abilities because it improves eye contact. "Eye contact can be considered the first step of social approach," Sirigu said. But people with autism often avoid looking at others. "In our study we show that oxytocin enhances eye contact because patients spent more time looking at the eyes," she said. She said the hormone also improves the ability of people with autism to understand how other people respond to them, and they can learn the appropriate response to others' behavior. Read More...
Proposed Autism Diagnosis Changes Anger "Aspies"
Thu, 11 Feb 2010 07:51:13 - Pacific Time
In the autism world, "Aspies" are sometimes seen as the elites, the ones who are socially awkward, yet academically gifted and who embrace their quirkiness. Now, many Aspies, a nickname for people with Asperger's syndrome, are upset over a proposal they see as an attack on their identity. Under proposed changes to the most widely used diagnostic manual of mental illness, Asperger's syndrome would no longer be a separate diagnosis. Instead, Asperger's and other forms of autism would be lumped together in a single "autism spectrum disorders" category. Some parents say they'd welcome the change, thinking it would eliminate confusion over autism's variations and perhaps lead to better educational services for affected kids.But opponents — mostly older teens and adults with Asperger's — disagree. Liane Holliday Willey, a Michigan author and self-described Aspie whose daughter also has Asperger's, fears Asperger's kids will be stigmatized by the autism label — or will go undiagnosed and get no services at all. Grouping Aspies with people "who have language delays, need more self-care and have lower IQs, how in the world are we going to rise to what we can do?" Willey said. Rebecca Rubinstein, 23, a graduate student from Massapequa, N.Y., says she "vehemently" opposes the proposal and will think of herself as someone with Asperger's no matter what. Autism and Asperger's "mean such different things," she said. Yes and no. Both are classified as neurodevelopmental disorders. Autism has long been considered a disorder that can range from mild to severe. Asperger's symptoms can vary, but the condition is generally thought of as a mild form and since 1994 has had a separate category in psychiatrists' diagnostic manual. Both autism and Asperger's involve poor social skills, repetitive behavior or interests, and problems communicating. But unlike classic autism, Asperger's does not typically involve delays in mental development or speech. Read More...
Older mothers' kids have higher autism risk, study finds
Mon, 8 Feb 2010 07:10:54 - Pacific Time
A 10-year study examining 4.9 million births in the 1990s has found more evidence that there's a link between autism and the mother's age at conception. "The risk of having a child with full syndrome autism increases with maternal age," concluded researchers at the University of California, Davis, who examined data from all births in their state for the decade. The findings are published in the February issue of the journal Autism Research. The link between the parents' age and children's health is not entirely new. Prior studies have indicated that babies born to older women have higher risks of birth defects, low birth weight and certain chromosome problems, such as Down syndrome. A 2007 Kaiser Permanente study conducted in California reported that autism risk increased with both the mother's and father's age. An Israeli study based in statistics from 1980s had isolated only paternal age as being linked with increased risk for autism. Dr. Max Wiznitzer, a pediatric neurologist at Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio, said the latest research had a far larger sample size. Autism is a growing disorder; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that one in 110 children had the condition in 2006. But its causes remain unknown. In the latest study, researchers found that mothers over the age of 40 had 51 percent higher odds of having children with autism compared with mothers between the ages 25 and 29.The father's age also played a factor, but only when he had a child with a woman under 30. Read More...
Andrew Wakefield responds to article about journal retraction of autism study report
Thu, 4 Feb 2010 07:29:54 - Pacific Time
Dr. Andrew Wakefield has responded in an e-mail message to Tuesday's article citing the medical journal Lancet's retraction of his 1998 article purporting to link autism to the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine. The article stated that Wakefield now practices in Austin, Texas. In fact, he does not practice medicine, but performs research aimed at the development of new treatments for autism. His statement: "The allegations against me and my colleagues are both unfounded and unjust and I invite anyone to examine the contents of these proceedings and come to their own conclusion. "In fact, the Lancet paper does not claim to confirm a link between the MMR vaccine and autism. Research into that possible connection is still ongoing." He is correct -- sort of. The paper does not claim to confirm the link, which has subsequently been refuted by innumerable studies showing that the incidence of the autism epidemic is unrelated to vaccination. But many who read the paper drew the clear inference that the vaccine is the cause. Since the paper's publication, millions of dollars of research funds that could have been spent looking for the causes of the disorder have instead been diverted to investigating the potential link to vaccines. More important, a large number of parents, particularly in England but also in the United States, refused to have their children vaccinated with MMR, leading to outbreaks of measles with serious consequences. But perhaps for fellow researchers the more relevant question today is whether results from Wakefield's current and ongoing studies can be trusted. Reseachers build upon each other's findings, often trusting that scientific standards have been applied and that the results are legitimate. Wakefield is executive director of Thoughtful House for Children, which submitted the e-mailed statement on his behalf. Read More...
Andrew Wakefield found to have Acted Unethically in Autism Study
Sun, 31 Jan 2010 07:54:02 - Pacific Time
With a high prevalence of autism in Oregon many parents are desperate to find a cause and a cure. While the science has been unable to find either many other people and companies are attempting to find out what is going on behind the development of the Autistic Spectrum Disorder. One such person has been Andrew Wakefield. Wakefield is a British-born, Canadian-trained physician who has done a number of studies on the alleged link between autism and the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR). Wakefield was the lead author of a 1998 study, published in The Lancet, which sparked a large amount of media coverage. This study claimed to have found an associate between finding the measles virus in the intestinal tract of children with autism following the MMR vaccine. The study was small, with only 12 children, and the conclusions did not specifically suggest a link. This is where the media coverage came in and raised an alarm and scared many parents out of vaccinating their children.This original study sparked much in the way of follow up research leading up to a recent study which also found no link between the MMR, measles virus, and autism. Since the studies appearance in The Lancet 10 of the 13 authors renounced the study and The Lancet has said that the study should not have been published. The original study also ended up sparking many accusations of Wakefield and led to an investigation for ethics violations. These claims included accusations that Wakefield paid children at his child’s birthday party to participate in the study and that he faked some of the data in the original paper. Another conflict also came to the surface when the investigative journalist Brian Deer looked into Wakefield. Deer found that Wakefield had applied for a patent on an alternative MMR vaccine and that Wakefield was being paid specifically to support the MMR and autism link. These last two findings are huge conflicts of interest and were all taken into consideration by the General Medical Council in the investigation.This investigation recently culminated yesterday, January 28, 2010, with a ruling by the General Medical Council in the U.K. which said that Wakefield acted "dishonestly and irresponsibly" during his research. The Council also said that Wakefield had behaved with "callous disregard for the distress and pain the children might suffer." The sanctions that will result from these findings are still forthcoming and should be resolved in the next few months. Read More...
News Archive
OSR#1: Industrial chemical or autism treatment?: Sun, 17 Jan 2010 07:51:15 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Families of autistic kids sue over therapy's elimination: Fri, 15 Jan 2010 08:51:47 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Startup Tests Drugs Aimed at Autism: Mon, 11 Jan 2010 10:00:08 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Misconnections in Developing Brain May Cause Autism: Mon, 11 Jan 2010 08:48:55 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Brain Imaging May Help Diagnose Autism: Sat, 9 Jan 2010 06:30:04 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Autism Group Calls for More Studies on Restrictive Diets: Tue, 5 Jan 2010 07:37:52 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Another study finds no MMR-autism link: Mon, 4 Jan 2010 17:00:17 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Asperger's syndrome will be folded into a single broad diagnosis: Fri, 1 Jan 2010 07:11:21 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Autism clusters found in 'educated areas' of state: Thu, 31 Dec 2009 07:18:02 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Texas Study Confirms Lower Autism Rate in Hispanics: Tue, 29 Dec 2009 14:38:56 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Toxic metals may influence autism severity: Mon, 28 Dec 2009 08:19:38 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Autism and Vaccines are Unrelated. So, What Causes Autism?: Wed, 23 Dec 2009 06:38:03 - Pacific Time: Read More...
With autism at 1 in 110 kids, treatment in demand: Sun, 20 Dec 2009 16:49:48 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Brain Imaging Sheds Light on Social Woes Related to Autism: Fri, 18 Dec 2009 14:17:52 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Study Expected to Announce 1 in 100 Autism Rate—A Startling 50% Jump: Wed, 16 Dec 2009 13:57:01 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Autism's stigma replaced by eminence: Mon, 14 Dec 2009 03:43:10 - Pacific Time: Read More...
People with autism 'have problem with self-awareness': Mon, 14 Dec 2009 03:31:41 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Autism and schizophrenia could be genetic opposites: Sun, 13 Dec 2009 07:55:10 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Parent training vital to raising children with autism: Fri, 11 Dec 2009 07:24:29 - Pacific Time: Read More...
UW study leads to IQ improvements in autistic children: Thu, 10 Dec 2009 06:15:21 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Chelation based on faulty premise: Mon, 7 Dec 2009 00:29:22 - Pacific Time: Read More...
NJ Looks To Expands Services For Those With Autism: Sun, 6 Dec 2009 11:32:25 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Harvard Experts Hope Facial Recognition Studies Benefit Autism Research: Sat, 5 Dec 2009 14:12:14 - Pacific Time: Read More...
How to Get Early Intervention Autism Therapy for Your Child: Thu, 3 Dec 2009 08:28:57 - Pacific Time: Read More...
The Rising Autism Rates May Turn the Disorder into a National Disaster: Tue, 1 Dec 2009 05:25:43 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Institute For Autism Research Created: Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:22:12 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Autism treatment works in kids as young as 18 mos: Sun, 29 Nov 2009 22:34:28 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Do Children with Autism Lack an Ability to Imitate?: Sun, 29 Nov 2009 10:58:12 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Workshop to explore latest research on autism: Sat, 28 Nov 2009 16:25:10 - Pacific Time: Read More...
A Powerful Identity, a Vanishing Diagnosis: Sat, 28 Nov 2009 15:46:19 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Trained guide dog soothes autistic children in the classroom: Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:59:38 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Children With ASD Have Specific Handwriting Impairments: Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:54:52 - Pacific Time: Read More...
FDA OKs Abilify for child autism irritability: Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:52:51 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Risky autism treatments have little basis in science: Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:50:13 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Autism treatment: Science hijacked to support alternative therapies: Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:47:29 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Program reduces autism bad behaviors: Fri, 27 Nov 2009 11:29:25 - Pacific Time: Read More...
New Research Suggests Recovery From Autism Is Possible: Mon, 11 May 2009 16:55:16 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Utah researchers link autism to breech births: Mon, 27 Apr 2009 14:52:53 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Autism coverage in Oklahoma stripped from bill: Wed, 22 Apr 2009 19:05:42 - Pacific Time: Read More...
Nevada Assembly Passes Autism Bill: Wed, 22 Apr 2009 19:00:44 - Pacific Time: Read More...
| Please See Our Catalog of Books About Autism for More Information | | Please See Our Catalog of Free Online Videos About Autism for More Information |