Number of Autism Cases Declines in Calif.
Moms View Message Board: Parenting Children with Special Needs: Number of Autism Cases Declines in Calif.
Number of New Cases of Autism in California Declines for the First Time in
More Than 10 Years
The Associated Press picks up story, gets national distribution.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/print?id=937092
The number of new cases of autism in California has fallen for the
first time in more than 10 years in what may be a bellwether for autism
rates nationwide, according to new data compiled by the state Department of
Developmental Services. The total number of autistic children receiving
special education services from the state continues to grow bringing the
current total to 28,046 but the rate of increase peaked in 2002 and has
dropped slightly since then.
California has the best reporting system for autism in the United
States because it guarantees special education services for autistic
children. Because of its tracking system, the state is generally considered
a predictor of what is to come for the rest of the country.
Experts said, however, that they don't know what's causing the numbers
to fall off.
"Perhaps whatever caused (the number of cases) to go up ... is no
longer present," said Dr. Robert Hendren, executive director of the
University of California, Davis MIND Institute, which researches
neurodevelopmental disorders. "It's all speculation. I wish we had good
studies." Parent activist Rick Rollens of Sacramento, who played a key role
in the creation of the MIND Institute, said that the trend roughly
corresponds to the removal of mercury preservatives from pediatric vaccines.
Many activist groups say that the use of mercury in the vaccines caused the
sudden increase in autism cases.
Federal scientists, however, have continually said that the evidence
does not support such a link.
The state data do not include children under the age of 3. About 90
percent of all autistic children are entered into the system before the age
of 6, the department said.
According to the state data, 2002 was a record year for new autism
diagnoses, with 3,259 cases. In 2003, the number of new cases slipped to
3,125. In 2004, the number was 3,074.
For the first half of 2005, there were 1,470 new cases, compared to
1,518 in the same period in 2004.
Information from: Los Angeles Times, http://www.latimes.com
. . .
Interesting reading. My ds was dxed in 2002, during the record year. I really wish that we could find some kind of cause and effect relationship, just to get some hint of "Why". I suspect mercury, as many other parents do, but until proven otherwise, I don't see any point in persuing that avenue. I suppose that the Why doesn't really matter as long as the rate continues a downward trend. I truly hope the rest of the country does follow us in this instance and are able to begin seeing the diagnosis rate slow down or even head downward. Thanks for the info, Feona.
I thought if there *was* a downward movement in numbers soon then vaccines could very well be the culprit. (Considering when the mercury was removed.)
That seems to be a safe assumption but I assume that there will have to be studies and tests and more studies and surveys and statistics before the government, the AAP, and other officials will admit that there could be some correlation.
They will never admit a correlation because that will open the drug companies up to massive lawsuits.
Ame
I don't think they will even admit anything either.
My girlfriend swears her daugher got cerebral palsy because they sprayed for west nile around her and she got hit while outsite when she was hanging out with her two pregnant girlfriends - all three were pregnant.
All three kids had special problems.
A Kennedy Fuels Autism Debate
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/07/14/eveningnews/main709269.shtml
Is there a link between autism and childhood vaccines?
Medical experts say no -- resoundingly -- but a few advocacy and
parent groups refuse to believe them. As CBS News Correspondent Sharyl
Attkisson reports, those who believe there is such a link now have the
forceful and highly controversial support of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
Advocates say that it's no coincidence that one new study indicates
that when a mercury preservative was removed from most vaccines, autism
rates in California went down.After growing for more than a decade, new
cases of autism may be slowing down in California. That's according to data
compiled by the state that has been on the leading edge of identifying and
tracking the nation's autism epidemic. The trend is fueling a debate over
vaccines and the autism epidemic--a debate that Kennedy has now entered.
Kennedy is lending the famous family name to a new cause: the idea
that something in vaccines triggered the autism and ADD epidemics.
Attkisson asked Kennedy what he thought when he initially heard of the
link between autism and childhood vaccines.
"I was skeptical but sympathetic," says Kennedy. "These are people who
have been through hell, literally."
After researching studies on both sides, Kennedy became a believer.
"The science connecting brain damage to thimerosal is absolutely
overwhelming," he says.
What is thimerosal? It's a vaccine preservative containing mercury,
which is a known neurotoxin. It was in lots of kids' vaccines thru the 90's,
as the CDC kept adding new shots. At the same time, autism and ADD cases
skyrocketed.
Not only that, but there's new word this week from the bellwether
state of California: as mercury has been phased out of most childhood
vaccines in recent years, new autism cases have declined. But that is just
one study.
Health officials like Dr. Tanja Popovic insist the research
definitively shows mercury in vaccines doesn't trigger autism.
"Based on what we know right now, we don't think there's an
association," says Dr. Popovic.
Studies suggesting a link have been dismissed by virtually all
mainstream medical organizations in American And Europe. And health
officials are deeply concerned that high profile advocates like Kennedy
could stop parents from vaccinating their children and deadly epidemics will
return.
Despite all the attention he is getting, Kennedy tells Attkisson that
there is resistance to putting the debate out in the public. He says he
wrote an op-ed piece on the issue -- but no publication would print it, he
says.
"I went to all the major newspapers and nobody would touch it," he
says.
One publication did bite. Salon.com printed Kennedy's article in which
he made a highly speculative and unproven claim of a full-fledged government
cover-up.
Government officials, for example, held a private meeting when an
early study did connect mercury in vaccines to autism, ADD and more. The
public wasn't invited--but pharmaceutical companies were. One official at
the meeting said "we are in a bad position from the standpoint of defending
any lawsuits" without more research.
Kennedy insists there is a cover-up. Dr. Popovic refutes this claim.
"Quite to the contrary," she says. "We've always been open about all
of our activities."
Meanwhile, public health officials struggle to end the whole
vaccine-autism debate. But with the Kennedy name attached, it seems destined
to survive in controversy for now.
I will always think that my sons issues stemmed from his vaccines. You can look through my photo albums and see within 2 weeks of vaccines he changed, we noticed this, we talk with docs about it. He only had one round of shots (18 mo) that contained thermasil, he has not had any of those shots since. We did a holistic diet for a couple of years and really limited intake of all mercury containing foods, No FISH specifically. He isn't quite normal, but really in about 2 years he came back to us for the most part. I don't think it is all that, but for some kids they are more sensitive. I feel like we were lucky, he is undiagnosed, he is quirky, but he is different. We have considered joining some of the class action lawsuits, but have not done so.
Ame, it really wouldn't matter if the drug companies did admit that thimerosal contributed to autism. Our president (in his infinite wisdom *eye roll*) signed a homeland security bill that had an amendment to it that prohibits parents from seeking monetary reimbursement from drug companies, if it is proven that any preservative in vaccines contribute to the cause of autism. I think it is just a matter of pride and stubborness now.
Kaye, we did join a class-action suit before this bill was signed and now all suits (specifically relating to ASD) have been cancelled.
Money makes the world go round!
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