Autism and vaccines

[whitequeen96]

This is in response to Shaina T's question in the thread about getting kids flu shots. I didn't want to hijack the thread into another subject!

Shaina, as for the MMR shots and autism, I will tell you that it IS a matter of concern. Europe won't allow thimerasol in their vaccines anymore. Autimm has increased about 1,200% in the last decade or so, just about the time vaccines increased. We used to give our kids 8 vaccines by the time they were 2. Now they get 22 or 23! The head of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Dr. Neal somebody (I'll get more of the facts for you later), increased the number of vaccines dramatically during the '90's because he strongly believed in them. But then he noticed the HUGE increase in autism, asthma, and childhood diabetes. He became worried about the connection and finally RESIGNED over this matter! This is a big-time BIG WIG!

Please understand, I am NOT against vaccines! I just wish they didn't give them all at once to the kids. They're injecting something like 50 times the EPA's allowable amount of mercury into these tiny little babies all in one day! I also know 3 mothers, who have kids in my son's special autism program, who saw dramatic changes in the 2 or 3 days after their kids got their 1 1/2 or 2 year-old shots. (All three stopped talking.) One woman said her 2 yr. old boy was an excellent early talker, very outgoing and happy. The day after the shots, he just started saying "Deeka, deeka, deeka," and that's all he has ever said since then. (He is now 7 yrs. old and walks around like a zombie; it's heartbreaking!)

I tell my friends to have their babies get the vaccines spread out over time, no more than 1 per every six weeks or so. It's not as convenient, but you don't know if your child may have some kind of susceptibility (sp?) to thimerasol. The doctors may argue with you, but they don't know everything! Remember the Phen-fen problem! What about the phenylproponolamine that was in cough medicine for years, then found to give some women strokes? My son's original doctor argued that he should have the live polio vaccine, but I had read that it is the only cause of polio in the U.S., So I demanded the dead polio virus. He grudgingly gave in. The following week, the American Academy of Pediatrics came out with a warning that young children should only get the dead polio virus. So doctors DON'T know everything! (And I come from a long line of doctors on my mother's side, so I was very reluctant to believe any of this. I was sure it was all a bunch of baloney until I started reading up on vaccines and autism.)

OK, nobody flame me because I'm worried about the mercury in vaccines! I'm just a concerned mother of a very dear little boy with autism. And he DID show a personality change within 3 days after his 2 yr. old shots. We noticed that he was unusually cranky and tantrumed a lot during his birthday party. (This was so unlike him; he was such a happy baby!) We all said it must have been because he was feeling a little under the weather from his shots. But he just got worse (terrible two's?), and then became afraid of EVERYTHING, especially anything black, including black and white photos! He still talked, but almost exclusively in quotes from books, videos, songs. (We thought he was a genius!) But he couldn't answer questions, and had poor eye contact. The only way he played with his toys was to line them up in a row. There was no imaginative play anymore, no creativity with PlayDough, etc. There were other symptoms as well.

Later, we found out he has autism. And life has been an incredible challenge ever since then! He has regained the ability to speak spontaneously, and is creative again. (Thanks to all of the special programs out there!) But he still has difficulty answering questions. He also has terrible tantrums (WAY beyond normal!), and is very afraid of certain sounds. He is easily upset, and I have learned that "the tantrum of tomorrow starts today." Thus, I am always checking up on him emotional state (is he tired, stressed, hungry, tightly wound?) FAR MORE than you would with a "regular" kid. You never know what could set him off, so going out in public with him is an extremely nerve-wracking experience! (He once cleared a park during a tantrum. All the mothers grabbed their kids and left, because they didn't want their kids to see this obviously very disturbed child screaming, crying, hitting me and then kissing the spot he had hit, apologizing, and then doing it all over again. Thank God I had another parent of an autistic child with me!) And let me tell you, there are lots of parents of autistic children who ENVY me! (At least my kid talks and doesn't bang his head on the wall all day!)

Wow! I didn't realize so much of this was going to be about my son's experiences. I meant to include lots more facts and figures, and I will get back to you with them. This last week has been a difficult one for my boy, so I guess I just needed to get all this off my chest . Thanks for putting up with me!

[aprilgail]

I spread out my daughters shots but she got all that is required...she was getting one a month for the first year or so of her life.

[whitequeen96]

Ooops! See next message!

[whitequeen96]

I've heard that some doctors are beginning to do this now! I'm so glad; it seems so much better for the babies!

BUT, new babies are now getting the vaccine for Hepatitis B the day of their birth. That's for a disease you get from sex with an infected person, or from dirty needles. Do they NEED to get that the first day of their lives?

See these two threads; they are incredibly informative! With lots of facts and figures. Some of the other DOD members have done tons of research on this topic and include lots of links. (I don't have much energy left for this kind of research, so I am very grateful to them!)

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[ShainaT]

My goodness. Thanks for the information. I am going to read the other threads you linked to now.