A study published a few months ago in the journal NeuroToxicology investigates the non-random variation in prevalence of autism. The study has shown that the highest frequency of autism occurs in areas of the study location (Minnesota) with increased amounts of pollution in the environment, such as mercury and pesticides. The study concludes there is a statistically significant trend of higher levels of autism (ASD) in EPA Superfund sites than in other sites and that this correlation may be due to increased pollution as well as population heterogeneity of genetic components such as the PON gene family. The PON gene family has been implicated in peroxonase enzyme activity, whose lowered activity tends to correlate with increased frequency of ASD.
This article is vital in the debate regarding vaccinations and autism. The authors of this paper have shown that the increase in ASD over the past number of years (pictured in the chart above) is significantly correlated with an increase in pollution, while mental retardation frequency remains steady. On the other hand, vaccination there is no correlation shown between the number of vaccinations given to children and the non-random distribution of ASD cases.
This paper should be vital reading for anyone who wants to be informed on the debate between autism and vaccinations.
To read the entire article, visit ScienceDirect: Ockham’s Razor and autism: The case for developmental neurotoxins contributing to a disease of neurodevelopment
Surprise! Jenny McCarthy Completely Ignores Scientific Research
I’m sure by now that we’re all aware of the actress and “activist” Jenny McCarthy and her crusade against the medical and biomedical research community. Her unfounded and dangerous belief that vaccines increase the frequency of autism has been making a splash in the easily convinced minds of many parents who are desperate to help or protect their children. However, when parents do not listen to scientists and doctors (the ones with the education to understand the situation, and not just go off what google searches suggest) and choose to not get their children vaccinated or treated properly, death and sickness ensues.
Recently McCarthy went on the front line again and went on public television to say that a recently published scientific study was wrong. Why do you say? Does she have another study to cite or some sort of evidence or empirical/quantitative support for her claim? Nope, she has “anecdotal evidence.” The study, which was published in Pediatrics (click to view the original article), concludes that “No significant associations were found between autism case status and overall incidence of gastrointestinal symptoms or any other gastrointestinal symptom category.” However, McCarthy and others would argue that this is, to their non-scientifically trained opinions, false and that special diets aid with autism symptoms (she has personally removed wheat and dairy from her child’s diet). Instead of blaming medicine, maybe they should consider pollution caused by ourselves as a cause.
The video pictured above from ABC news (click to view) contains one of the more ridiculous quotes I’ve ever heard come directly out of her mouth:
Oh. Really? Your “anecdotal evidence” which has no controls, miniscule sample sizes, and no true methods of analysis has more weight than a refereed scientific study?
How do we stop the madness?