AAP: BONE WEARY OF PARENTS AND NOW THE MEDIA

By Anne Dachel

The American Academy of Pediatrics is angry with Chicago Tribune reporter Julie Deardorff.  They're upset because of her recent article, The AAP gets tough on vaccine dissenters., (HERE) published on the Tribune blog.

The AAP wrote to the Chicago Tribune to complain because of what Julie said about parents and their fears over vaccines.  The AAP letter will be published Wed., July 9 in the Tribune.

You might ask what a reporter from a top U.S. paper could have written to incur the wrath of the AAP.  First of all, Julie's piece was "one-sided" and it was "fear-mongering," according to the AAP.  Reading the original article, I have to wonder what they consider "fear-mongering."  Is it because Julie pointed out that there's been a dramatic increase in the vaccine schedule since 1982 and it's got parents worried?  Maybe they don't like the fact that Julie reported about a letter that the AAP leadership sent out to their doctors addressing the controversy over vaccine safety.  Their letter gave suggestions on how to deal with non-complying parents, which included telling them they're "self-centered" and that they should find a new doctor if they objected to the mandated schedule.

In their letter to the Tribune, the AAP accused Julie of parroting "the misleading pseudoscience of the most strident anti-vaccine Web sites and the scare tactics of celebrity-funded ad campaigns."  They announced that vaccines are unquestionably safe and that they've wiped out disease and saved lives.  Furthermore, the AAP didn't like Julie's use of boldfaced type when writing about the number of vaccines in the schedule.

SEE FULL TEXT OF LETTER: The AAP responds to 'vaccine dissenters' (HERE)

It appears that the AAP is not only getting tough on vaccine dissenters but on reporters who write about it.  I can't imagine what they hope to achieve by writing to the Tribune like this.  Will their remarks suddenly restore the rapidly evaporating confidence in the vaccine program?  Will doctors feel renewed purpose because of the stand taken by their leadership?  Not likely.

I seriously doubt that very many people believe that the AAP can get parents and doctors to continue to march in step with the mandated schedule.  The AAP hasn't noticed yet, but we're in the midst of a devastating epidemic of autism.  Everyday stories are out in the news about parents who say that their normally progressing children regressed into autism following vaccinations.  The AAP continues to promote the vaccine schedule unchanged despite more than 8,500 marchers coming to Washington, DC in June saying that there are too many vaccines, too soon for their children. 

The APP officially does little to alleviate the fears of parents about autism.  They can give us no plausible reason why one in every 150 children is affected when 25 years ago, the rate was one in 10,000. 

In Oct. 2007, the AAP met in San Francisco to announce that their best strategy for combating autism was to tell their doctors to look for the signs of autism at well-baby checks. (HERE)  It seems the AAP hopes that preaching "early diagnosing" will make the public forget that this organization has no reasonable explanation for the explosion in autism.

At their 2007 meeting, the AAP gave doctors a list of five symptoms to look for in babies, like failure to make eye contact and not turning when the parent says their name.  In the same directives, they told doctors how to deal with parents of autistic children who use "nonstandard therapies" like chelation and diet. 

If you look up "autism" on the official AAP website (HERE), there are few answers.  There's also no alarm about a disorder that was practically unknown just a generation ago.  It doesn't bother the AAP that the rate of one in 150 came from studies of eight year olds, not eighty year olds.  Officials have never been able to come up with any research to show us an autism rate of one in 150 among adults and that should be scaring everyone, including the AAP. 

The AAP can't seem to understand that parents are afraid.  Autism is a tragedy overwhelming hundreds of thousands of families and they pretend it isn't happening. 

Finding fault with the reporter who writes about their tactics makes the AAP seem more like bullies than protectors of children's health.

Anne Dachel is Media Editor for Age of Autism.

Comments

[Angela Warner]

Liz P.

Your birth sounds beautiful, coming from someone who was going to become a midwife before my youngest was dx'ed. Licensed Midwife that is - homebirth and birth center births only.

You did EVERYTHING right by your babe. If you are going to have a fourth I would recommend that you look into having a homebirth. All of my kids were birthed sans drugs (water for labor pain - much better than I imagine an epidural to be - just me). My younger two were born at home in the labor pool in our living room, attended by the same midwife both times. If we were ever to be blessed with a fifth child, I wouldn't change a thing.

Obviously there are some situations where a homebirth is just not possible, due to complications beyond one's control. And I am not a homebirth "freak", as it's not for everyone and as long as you know that your birthing happened as it should, your babe is healthy, and you love both child and the experience, then those are the most important things. Just thought I'd share.

Good for them for firing you! Your family is much healthier and better off for it!

The care of our personal health and that of our children and the decisions we make regarding such is called "informed consent" and "informed refusal". SHAME ON THEM for thinking they are the end all be all... and that they know more than we do about ourselves and our children. Shame on them for not being respectful of our right to refuse a recommended treatment.

Regarding the heel prick - PKU - warm pack to the heel so it bleeds easily, done in the first two weeks and one time is fine, and nursing as a distraction, it is really not a big deal. It depends on who's doing the prick.

Off my box. As a midwife at heart, I am so proud of you!

Ang

[lisa to kim]

Hey Kim (and most on AOA)

You and I both know AAP has lost it. Somewhere in the mid 80's about caring for kids. Not sure when.

The problem is this: you and I know it. But its getting the UNAFFECTED to know it as well. (Unaffected = not touched with autism, gardasil negative reaction, asthma, juvenile diabetes and the list goes on.)

I guess what continues to shock me is the stance in their messaging. I am sorry - call me Pollyana but I cannot get over it.

Lis

[Andrea]

Kim said:

"I know parents who are opting out of a visits for fear of being bullied by their pediatrician about vaccines. They are delaying appointments. That means lost dollars. "

I'll admit I've been hiding from my pediatrician lately. But, my kids aren't even babies anymore. It's my 13 yr old daughter I'm worried about. He's got about 4 vaxes he wants to give her.

I was thrlled to find out my school system gives physicals for kids who play sports through the school. For 5 bucks she's ready to go for next year's sporting activities, and I saved myself a bunch of stress that would come from visiting the ped.

[Jack]

Anne,

You'd be happy to know that a friend of mine forwarded me the Tribune article. Below it he typed, "the best was this comment"..it was your comment.

Jack

[Liz P]

Anne, there is a reason you (and Julie, Kim, David, Dan, et al) have been my heroes for years...Somehow you manage to pinion the specimen perfectly to the observation platform, allowing the world a close-up view of the ugly underbelly of the beast!

We received a Certified Letter dismissing our family from our local pediatric practice less than five days after I delivered our third child.

We were dismissed because of my plan of care for my son (who happends to have two vaccine-damaged sibs)...In the hospital, I refused the Hep-B because my ds would not be a prostitute, IV drug user, or in care of any Hep + carer. I refused antibiotic eye drops because he was not exposed to any bacteria they would be effective against during his delivery. I refused to allow them to put chemicals on his umbilical stump because the liquid prolongs its dessication and the chemical is quickly absorbed into an infant's system (a dusting of goldenseal was incedibly effective). I refused a bath for him because the vernix is especially nourishing for a newborn's skin (and he smelled just fine, thank you very much!). I insisted he be placed against my skin and allowed to nurse immediately. I refused the heel-stick (I did allow this could be done if ds appeared in any distress). And finally, I demanded my ds room-in with me so he could nurse as-needed and form a strong bond...He arrived with an APGAR of 10 and peacefully snuggled with me the entire hospital stay. Apparently, this plan of care is a threat to the local pediatrics practice.

I say to the AAP-herd of pediatricians, "Sssseeeeeeeee ya. Wouldn't want to be with ya!" Any pediatrician who ignores a parent's concerns, can't spare more then five minutes for a consult, and refuses to properly diagnose his/her patients doesn't deserve the privilege of caring for MY beautiful babies.

Thank G-d for pediatricians with open, inquisitive minds, concern for the HEALTH of their paients, knowledge of healing arts from East and West, and the time to truly know their patients and HEAR and address their concerns!

Thank G-d, too, for authors, researchers, reporters, editors, bloggers, and all the others who stand tall and shout out loud in the face of the gale-force winds issuing forth from airbags like the AAP, CDC, and many Pharmaceutical companies. G-d willing, we shall overcome their blind ignorance.

[Keith]

The AAP are stooges for the HHS and Pharma. The ones that got us into this mess in the first place.

Should we allow them to distract from the "real" perpetrators?

[Stagmom]

Lisa, why do we assume that the AAP is putting the patients first? When there is an airline crash, does Continental worry about their stock, their lawsuits and then the handful of passengers who may have died? AAP is the business end of the stick. The other end is the one they are poking into our eyes.

When I feel cornered I get VERY ornery, nasty, my vicious tongue comes alive. That's called panic mode. I think AAP top brass is in panic mode. I can't imaging how the average pediatrician must feel with this new edict from CDC that the vax schedule "has always been just a guideline." They, the CDC, has given parents the confidence to question their ped.

The modern pediatric practice is built on well visits. The old model was built on caring for children with childhood diseases. The current model means constant, trackable income. A doc knows when a baby comes into his practice he has ten visits locked up from birth to age three, PLUS sick visits. 2 week, 2 month, 4 month, 6 month, 9 month, 12 month, 15 month, 18 month, 2 year and 3 year. I don't believe pediatricians go into their specialty to become rich - I do believe the current insurance system and cost of medicine, including malpractice insurance, dictates that they hold onto every possible appointment dollar they can to save their practices from ruin. Vaccines are a surefire way to do that.

I know parents who are opting out of a visits for fear of being bullied by their pediatrician about vaccines. They are delaying appointments. That means lost dollars.

KIM

[Lisa]

AAP needs to quit picking on families affected by autism and reporters in support of the major efforts families are faced with and address the problem with a solution. And sadly - there are many families out there so it is no longer just a small group of people.

I find the AAP's behavior appalling. Since when did children and their families (who are scared) become the enemy?

[Lawrence]

At some point the AAP is going to have to apologize for not seeing the rise in the incidence of autism and for not trying to figure out what is causing it.

They should take a close look at United States Patent 20060130161.

That patent seems to be for an animal model for autism and other diseases using a family of viruses related to HHV-6.

It could be a real game changer for the AAP and for the whole battle to get autism recognized as the epidemic it seems to be.

Take a look at the patent. For anyone who cares about autism or several other politically charged mysterious medical issues, it makes for fascinating reading:
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/y2006/0130161.html

I hope Julie Deardorff will stand strong and keep reporting on all important developments in the autism epidemic story--including this one about a possible viral animal model for autism.

[Teresa Binstock]

Perhaps the Am Ac Peds and their superiors in Pharma have a back-channel white paper entitled "Principles and Practice of Iatrogenic Medicine: Guaranteeing Profits in a Sinking Economy".

[autism360]

Well said Anne.Keep the pressure on those who find it fine to inject babies with toxic cocktails.

[Margo O.]

Well, isn't that cute? The official AAP website has a category for "Vaccines and Autism." Under the header is...nothing. Absolutely nothing. Unreal.

[Craig Willoughby]

Awwww..so sad...the AAP had their feewings hurt (Do they have feelings? Are they even human?). Cry me a freakin' river. It's about time these jerks got called out on what they are doing to our children. Remember everyone, one small foot after another, and we will eventually climb over the mountain of BS that the CDC, FDA, IOM, AAP, and pHARMa have given us.

[Kelli Ann Davis]

"Finding fault with the reporter who writes about their tactics makes the AAP seem more like bullies than protectors of children's health."

Touche' Anne!

I can't believe that they actually found fault with Julie's bolding of the required number of immunizations!!

What's the matter AAP?? Does seeing the truth hurt? Is the truth filtering in thru those heavy blinders that you're wearing and making you uncomfortable??

Newsflash: Get used to it cuz we're not going anywhere.

Julie -- YOU ROCK!