New CDC Study to Include 2,700 Children with Autism
Monday October 9, 2006
Last week, the CDC announced funding for a new study to include 2,700 children with autism. The $5.9 million study will involve five major research centers, and will look at potential causes of autism including:
- infections or abnormal responses to infections in the child, mother or father
- genetic factors in the child, mother and father mother's reproductive history
- abnormal hormone function in the child, mother or father
- gastrointestinal problems in the child
- family history of medical and developmental problems
- smoking, alcohol and drug use in pregnancy,
- parent’s occupation and other socio-demographic factors.
This study may be helpful in collecting and coordinating information on a national level. It's likely to confirm past studies that suggest that genetics and environment both play a role, and that children with autism are more likely than children without autism to have gastrointestinal issues. It seems unlikely, however, that the study will actually determine what, if anything, actually causes autism. In fact, based on the press release, the study seems likely to result in big headlines -- but few tangible outcomes.
Is this type of study the best use of government funds for autism research? What, if anything, should be the CDC's role in autism research? What's your opinion?
Comments
I don’t trust the CDC to do this after the way they behaved when parents were asking questions about mercury and vaccines in general. David Kirby’s book, Evidence of Harm, details many of these issues in detail. The study will only involve kids 2-5 years old, I’ve heard, which means the thimerosol connection will be mainly eliminated, since most shots no longer contain thimerosol. This is a problem because parents, especially parents whose babies received Hepatitis B shot with mercury on the first day of life — will never get satisfaction from this source.
I wonder where CDC is going to get the subjects for the study since millions of parents already don’t trust the Agency. The Government must stop using our children to justify its hidden agenda.
I also do not trust the CDC at all… they are obviously a front group for vaccine industry and to protect industry in general (such as coal-fired power plants and paper mills that emit toxic mercury). The CDC is not about protecting the people of America, but about other sinister agendas.
I was pregnant near a highly toxic emitter of mercury in the state of Georgia, a paper mill, and also ate the local catfish and rock shrimp while pregnant. Why isn’t CDC studying anything about MERCURY when all the science points to it as the cause of autism?
http://www.cwac.net/paper_industry/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbcngSD0K90&mode=related&search=
They should shut down the CDC and start another legitimate scientific agency… all parents of autistics know it is the mercury in the vaccines or in the environment (mercury pollution from coal-fired plants and paper mills). The CDC is a useless agency that has hidden agendas, none of which have to do with our children’s health.