America (Catholic) Magazine on Autism Rates

Managing Editor's Note: America, The National Catholic Weekly, ran a piece about autism recently. Teresa Conrick sent a letter to the editor in response. From the piece, ..."If an alarming increase in autism is indeed occurring in our homes, and not just on statistical spreadsheets, then we need to confront this problem as the major health care crisis that it is. Discovering more about what provokes this puzzling neurological syndrome and how it can be treated effectively should be a major C.D.C. priority. Much of the institutional debate surrounding autism spectrum disorder has revolved around its suspected connection to the increasing vaccine load required of U.S. children. More research needs to be done to confirm or deny this hypothesis about the origins of autism before faith in the entire vaccination enterprise collapses. Clearly genetics plays a primary role, but as the numbers pile up the possible effect of so-called environmental triggers like vaccines cannot be ignored. Read the piece HERE.

By Teresa Conrick

Thank you very much for this on target opinion piece.  As a Catholic, a special education teacher but more importantly, as a parent of a teen with severe autism, I applaud your viewpoint as well as a much needed call for help and acceptance.

My daughter was a healthy and happy baby who began to regress after a series of vaccinations before her 2nd birthday.  Many of those were with thimerosal, the mercury preservative that has been around since the start of autism in the 1930's. After a triple live virus vaccine, the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine, my daughter broke out in a rash, lost all language, began to have chronic gastrointestinal pain, cried all the time, lost eye contact, and was ill with fevers then was subsequently diagnosed with "Idiopathic" (of unknown origin) autism.  Not one medical professional who dealt with her then (pediatrician, neurologist,psychiatrist) told us that these were signs of vaccine injury. 

Research on the actual children is showing that they are ill with dysfunctional immune systems, mitochondria disorders, and inflammation (brain and GI).  This is a new paradigm with a medical focus rather than the psychiatric one originally written about by child psychiatrist, Dr. Leo Kanner.  There is mounting research showing that this historically misunderstood disorder has its roots in neuroinflammation, not produced by genes, but by an outside (environmental source).  There is no such thing as a genetic epidemic and thousands of other families share my story of regression, an autism diagnosis, and then labs, tests now showing vaccine injury - mitochondria dysfunction, demyelinating disorders, transverse myelitis, toxic encephalopathy, hypotonia, seizures, and chronic arthritis. It is refreshing and encouraging to read your thoughts that the Catholic Church should see that this is an epidemic and not ignore all of the evidence.  Our religion is based on faith, love and trust but our Public Health system and its vaccine program can not be relied upon by faith only.  Science and common sense are integral for trust and faith in medical procedures and there has been limited transparency and much conflict of interest in the vaccine program. Our children are disabled by an illness that is treatable and recovery can happen -  so there is much to hope for but we need all the help, faith, acceptance and love that our religion and its members can offer.

For more information on the science/medical aspects:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/05/12/cbsnews_investigates/main4086809.shtml
 
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1280369/

http://www.rescuepost.com/files/hepb_asd_abstract1.pdf

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1721109,00.html

http://www.safeminds.org

http://www.ageofautism.com/2009/10/advocacy-groups-ask-president-obama-to-order-suspension-of-hepatitis-b-vaccine-birth-dose/comments/page/3/#comments]http:

http://www.ageofautism.com/2009/10/autism-at-1-in-58-boys-safeminds-calls-for-thimersol-from-seasonal-h1n1-flu-vaccine.html

Comments

[Rev. Ryan Rupe]

I'm glad that the Catholic Church has recognized this as an important issue as autism rates continue to skyrocket. If these trends continue, autism will soon be the #1 health issue for young children that will have immense political, ethical, familial and economic consequences for our country for generations to come.

[Garbo]

I seem to recall that a while back the Methodist church (which does lots of work overseas) decided to state a preference for providing thimerosal-free vaccines in their vaccination programs. It seems that those who spend their days helping each other recognize the truth.

[Lin]

Thank you Teresa! Your remarks are so spot on, I am crying. Thanks for giving the families a voice.

[Angela]

Teresa - thank you for that response. Well done.

[Andrea]

Thanks Theresa my Mom is going to love this.

[Bob Moffitt]

I find it very encouraging the "America, National Catholic Weekly" published this article raising serious questions regarding vaccines and their possible role in the epidemic of autism.

I was even more encouraged after reading comments by the few "doctors" who offered Dr. Offit as their source.. regurgitating the same lame explanations public health officials have... unsuccessfully...used for decades...to deny any link between vaccines and autism.

The walls are slowly beginning to crumble under the heavy weight of "common sense".

[Jack]

"When Jesus said, “Let the children come to me,” it was a gesture of benevolence. It was also an acceptance of responsibility. Autism is not something that happens only to “other” families. These are our children. Let them come to us and be helped or healed, or at the very least be comforted."

Amen. To Jesus, there were no throw-away people in society. How did we get so far away from that ideal?

[Benedetta]

genetics loaded the gun
environment pulled the trigger.

Sick of it

Because everyone that has an immune system has the genetics to load the gun!

Just my humble opinion.