©Revised, 2008, The Center For Development
Autism
is a serious behavioral disorder among young children that now occurs at
epidemic rates. According to a
recent article by Donald Miller, MD, autism is diagnosed in about 1 of every
400 girls and 1 in every 100 boys.
According to California records, autism has increased 1000% in the past
20 years! Autism used to account
for 3% of the caseload of the California Department of Economic Security. It now (2004) accounts for at least 34% of the caseload and costs
taxpayers about $2 million per child.
Lifetime care costs for an autistic person are $5 to 10 million
each. This article discusses
natural approaches to helping autistic children and more importantly, the
prevention of autism.
In a typical autism case, around his second birthday, a normally-developing boy stops
communicating with others and withdraws. He avoids eye contact and becomes strange and
aloof. He often develops various
motor nerve disturbances such as jerking movements or walking on his toes. Physicians also describe behaviors such
as head banging, crying spells, speech problems, and gastrointestinal and
immune system problems.
Other behaviors depend on the severity of the condition,
which may vary. Some autistic
children are able to attend school, while others must be institutionalized as
their behavior is so disruptive to their families.
While
there is no official medical cause for autism, here is what is known about the
causes of autism:
* Autism Appears Related to Mercury Toxicity. The first case of autism occurred in 1943 in America, twelve
years after a mercury-containing preservative, thimerosal, was added to the whooping cough (pertussis)
vaccine. In the 1950s, with only
four recommended vaccines, the incidence of autism was 1 in 10,000 children. As more vaccines were recommended, the
incidence of autism increased dramatically. By 1981, children received 135 micrograms of mercury in
vaccines. The incidence of autism
increased to 1 in 2600 children.
Children in 1996 received 246 micrograms of mercury in vaccines and the
incidence of autism was about 1 in every 350 children. Today, 13 vaccines are recommended with
varying numbers of booster shots.
The incidence of autism now averages about 1 in every 250 children.
Children who receive vaccinations containing thimerosal have
six times the amount of autism as those who received a vaccine free of
thimerasol. The majority of autism
symptoms begin after a vaccination.
Some physicians particularly blame the hepatitis B vaccine, at times given
on a childÕs first day of life. At
that time, children do not have a well-developed immune system, and their
nervous system is extremely vulnerable.
In one day, a child receiving the
hepatitis B vaccine may receive 36 times as much mercury as the safe limit. The
symptoms of autism are very similar to the symptoms of mercury poisoning. Six-month old children today receive
over 100 times the safe dose of mercury for their age due to vaccines.
Vaccines containing mercury are also
given to mothers. In one study,
50% of autistic childrenÕs mothers had received Rho Gam shots containing
mercury as a preservative. These
shots are given to mothers who have an Rh negative blood type and may be
carrying an Rh positive baby. Flu
shots may also contain the mercury-containing preservative, thimerasol.
* Autism is Related to Chronic Infections. These may be due to vaccination or other causes. About 80% of autistic children have
autoantibodies in their blood that are present in only about 5% of normal children. These autoantibodies indicate an
exposure to a virus such as measles, mumps or others. Although the vaccine for measles and mumps (MMPR) does not
contain mercury, it intentionally introduces viruses into young childrenÕs
bodies. This indicates that all
vaccines may be harmful. All vaccines work by
exposing one to a low level of a harmful virus or bacteria.
*
Autistic Children Have Difficulty Eliminating Toxic Metals. Ninety-nine percent of autistic children in a recent study
have dysfunctional metallothionein metabolism. Metallothionein is a protein that binds to minerals such as
mercury, copper and others and allows the body to eliminate them. If this binding protein does not
function well, one is less able to transport and eliminate many toxic metals.
*
Autistic Children Often Have Food Allergies. Many
autistic children are highly allergic to milk protein and other foods. This may be due to digestive
disturbances, chronic intestinal infections, toxic metals or other causes.
*
Autistic Children May Be Born Toxic.
The natural
approach to health and healing recognizes that most illness is the result of
the accumulation of toxic substances, infections and other nutritional,
structural or psychological insults to the body. These often begin at conception, and continue after
birth. Deficient diets,
medications, vaccines, toxic chemical exposures, and other stressors all play a
part. Conditions such as autism,
ADHD and others are merely the end result of the process.
A very important overlooked contributor to autism is the
nutritional condition of mothers during their pregnancy. This greatly influences the developing
fetus. Most women are unaware of
their nutritional deficiencies and metal toxicity. One cannot see identify these imbalances without doing a
hair mineral test, as they do not show up on routine blood tests. As a result, mothers innocently and
unknowingly pass their deficiencies and toxicity on to their children.
In some indigenous cultures, as soon as a young woman
reaches puberty, the community celebrates by feeding her special foods to
prepare her for bearing children.
The adults may walk for miles, or go on special fishing trips to locate
just the right type of foods they have found will help produce superior
offspring.
In contrast, teenage girls and young women in America often
eat the worst diets imaginable.
What is called prenatal care comes much too late and much too
little. For most women, prenatal
care does not even begin until the formation of the brain and nervous system are
well underway, a month or more into pregnancy. The only nutritional support most pregnant women are offered
is usually a single multivitamin.
It may not contain what the woman needs. Also, one pill does not contain nearly the nutrients needed
to both strengthen body chemistry and eliminate toxic metals, toxic chemicals
and chronic infections that are so common today.
Animal breeders understand well that to produce healthy
offspring they must feed the parents, especially the mothers-to-be, a very
high-quality diet. They usually
add special nutritional supplements as well. And they know that this feeding should begin long before a
female animal becomes pregnant.
Tissue mineral analyses of the parents of autistic children
usually reveal mineral deficiencies and metal toxicity. These cause a child to be born with
imbalances and thus more susceptible to toxic metals, infections and many other
conditions.
Genetic
problems cannot account for the staggering increase in autism in the past 20
years. However, genes are
activated by nutrients. Some
so-called genetic defects are related to the poorer nutritional status of
todayÕs mothers and children due to their diet, eating habits and due to
stress.
* Stress
from other sources may also play a role. Hair mineral
analyses of autistic children often reveal chronic stress patterns. In addition to the stress due to
vaccines, poor diets and medications, stress may be related to other causes in
the childÕs environment.
These
causes are of the greatest importance because it is far easier to prevent
autism than to work to correct it.
Prevention starts with the nourishment and general health young women
before they become pregnant. The
nutritional condition of the father probably also plays a part. A healthful lifestyle with plenty of
rest and sleep, a quality diet, freedom from toxic chemicals and metals in the
food, air and water and healthful emotional states are all important.
Once
children are born, the question of vaccination must be considered carefully, as
autism often occurs soon after a vaccination. This is a difficult decision for parents. The references at the end of this
article mention just one of many books available about vaccine problems so that
one can evaluate different options.
Young children, of course, also need a quality diet, and the
avoidance of junk foods and medications wherever possible, including fluoride
applications to the teeth and mercury amalgam dental fillings.
Based on current research, these measures would
significantly reduce the chances of a child developing autism.
If
a child has been diagnosed with autism or a related disorder, there is still
much that can be done. Here are
basic measures:
Diet. One needs to begin with a diet of only natural foods,
preferably organically grown. This
means fresh vegetables, whole grains, natural meats and eggs, and healthful
beverages such as spring water or herbal teas. Young children all need healthful fats in their diet for the
development of their nervous system.
These include foods such as eggs, butter, meats, avocado, fresh nut butters, coconut oil or olive
oil.
Strict avoidance of all cowÕs milk products is beneficial
for many autistic children.
Avoiding wheat, sugar and perhaps other foods also helps many of
them. Many autistic children have
chronic intestinal yeast infections that make them very sensitive to sugars. It can be very important to avoid
all concentrated sugars including soda pop, candies, cookies, and even natural
fruit juices and other sweetened foods.
Excessive carbohydrates in the diet, even good quality one, may also
worsen an intestinal yeast condition.
Supplementary
Nutrients. In addition to avoiding allergic foods
and improving the general quality of the diet, a scientifically designed
nutrition program based on hair mineral analysis can be most helpful. The key to nutritional balancing
programs, and the way they differ from what may be called symptomatic
approaches, is to gently and delicately balance body chemistry.
Through an individualized hair mineral analysis, a
custom program can be set up to help to slowly detoxify and rebuild the
body. A childÕs first hair mineral
analysis reflects the top layer of metabolism and will not show all the
imbalances. We address what is
revealed on the test with diet, supplementary nutrients, lifestyle modification
and detoxification procedures.
After a number of months, a retest will reveal a
deeper layer of metabolism. Many
times it will look quite different from the previous layer if the healing
program was followed. Uncovering
and reversing layers of adaptations and compensations, a process called
retracing, requires time and some persistence, but is far more permanent and health-producing
than simply removing symptoms. The
results are:
* Enhancement of absorption and digestion of all
nutrients. Mineral imbalances play an enormous role
in the production of digestive enzymes and for rebuilding the intestine. Also, mineral imbalances often
contribute to intestinal yeast infection and other disturbances of the normal
intestinal flora. Autistic
children may also require digestive enzymes, probiotics such as acidophilus,
anti-candida supplements and specific dietary changes to help rebuild the
digestive system.
* Nutritional balancing programs facilitate the removal
of mercury, copper, manganese, iron, lead, cadmium and other metals that are
commonly present in excess. This will occur
even if metallothionein metabolism is impaired. We do not recommend synthetic chelating agents. They are unnecessary with the
nutritional balancing program and may be harmful. Nutritional balancing programs help remove toxic metals by
six methods simultaneously:
1. Improve the overall energy level
2. Balance the autonomic nervous system. This is most important for autistic
children. The sympathetic nervous
system inhibits the eliminative organs and has a catabolic effect on the
body. Catabolic means that it
breaks down body tissue. The sympathetic
nervous system is overactive in many if not all autistic children. Parasympathetic supplements and even
foods, along with balancing the chemistry, can calm the sympathetic system,
allowing for much better elimination of toxic metals and chemicals.
3) Improve the organs of
elimination. For this we use
digestive enzymes, liver support, kidney glandular substance at times and sauna
therapy, especially in older children.
Enhancing the bodyÕs energy level also helps the eliminative organs.
5) Provide natural toxic metal
antagonists and chelating agents.
Antagonists
are minerals or other substances that get in the way of the absorption or
metabolism of toxic metals or toxic chemicals. For example, zinc is an antagonist for cadmium, copper and
lead. Selenium has an antagonistic
action on mercury and other toxic metals.
Natural chelators include vitamin C and sulfur-containing amino acids
such as L-taurine and L-cysteine.
Other Natural Therapies. Other natural therapies may be helpful for autistic
children. These may include
chiropractic, massage, craniosacral therapy and many others.
The
autism epidemic, and it is an epidemic, causes a staggering level of suffering
and wasted human potential. It is
also an enormous financial burden on families and helping agencies. Standard medical treatments
are not very effective. Natural
therapies, especially nutritional correction, are demonstrating positive
results. Prevention is definitely
best.
On the positive side, a few states have banned the use of
thimerosal in vaccines and seen a slight decline in autism. In addition, there may be other
positive outcomes from the autism epidemic. It is definitely drawing attention to the problems of
multiple vaccines. Alert
doctors and parents are beginning to question the wisdom of injecting multiple
viruses into their newborn children, especially when the vaccines are preserved
with toxic metals such as mercury and aluminum.
Autism
is also contributing to a shift in society from a more male-oriented society to
one in which women are playing a greater role. This is occurring simply because between four or ten times
more male children are affected by autism, ADHD and related disorders. This in itself is shifting the balance
so that more girls are emerging as mentally superior, although the reason for
it is terribly painful to behold.
Most
important for the future, we hope autism will also cause more people to be
concerned with the way young women are prepared for motherhood and whether they
choose to vaccinate and medicate their children without regard to the dangers
inherent in these interventions.
This is a critical factor in the development of many
conditions including autism. If
the pain we all suffer from the autism epidemic helps us to wake up and pay
more attention to the nutrition of teenage girls and young mothers-to-be, this
would indeed be a positive step toward producing healthier generations of
children in the future.
For
a recent case history of a case of autism, click
here.
References
1. Miller,
D.J., MD, ÒMercury on the MindÓ, Health Freedom News, pp. 16-18, 27, December 2004. Also available at www.donaldmiller.com.
2. ÒMercury
in MedicineÓ, The Congressional Record, May 21, 2003, E1011-E1030.
4. OÕShea,
T., The Sanctity of Human Blood: Vaccination Is Not Immunization, 2004.
4. Miller,
N. Z., Are Vaccines Really Safe and Effective, 2002.
5. Autism
Research Institute (www.autismresearchinstitute.com)
6. Geier,
M. and Geier, D, MD, ÒAmericaÕs Developmental Disorder NightmareÓ, Dental
Truth, A Publication of DAMS International, pp. 20-21, December 2003.
7. Defeat
Autism Now (www.danconference.com)
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