Most parents don't really think a whole lot about the live viruses injected into their children at birth and during toddlerhood. It's just what we do to keep our children healthy. But could these lifesaving vaccinations be causing harm?

While virtually all mainstream research concludes that live-virus vaccines like the MMR do NOT cause autism, individual researchers like Dr. Andrew Wakefield disagree. Their theories about the MMR and autism are a bit obscure, though. How could a measles vaccine lead to autism?

To find out more about how the MMR is thought to cause gut problems and lead to autism, I asked Andrew Wakefield's research group, Thoughtful House, for answers to specific questions. They were glad to help, and their answers may shed some light on parents' concerns.

It is important to note that, while Wakefield and his colleagues do have concerns about live virus vaccines, they are NOT anti-vaccine. Their interest is in developing safer vaccinations for very young children.