Jenny McCarthy = Tom Cruise in drag.
If she only would have called someone "glib", that would have made my day.

oh she's not so bad. she's just passionate since its a personal issue for her. everyone already knew she was wicked outspoken. i mean she thinks jim carrey is beautiful, that's gotta say something good about her character. plus she's not afraid of scatological humor which is a rarity among famous women.

You're right adeline, she's very passionate about a cause so close to her. Its also hard to see what a controversial and difficult issue this is when you don't have children. Plus, if you listen (at least in this clip), she's not advocating non-vaccination, she's talking about how babies get too many vaccinations too soon. If you read a little on the topic you'd see that's what probably causes toxicity and possibly autism. That's my two cents.

It's not like she's the only mother of an autistic child to think autism may be caused by vaccines. Like adeline said, it's a personal issue for her. A quick Google search found this:
Government Investigation Finds Autism Vaccine Related (August 2006, which states "The Congressional report also said that the CDC, due to its "biases against theories regarding vaccine-induced autism," had chosen to fund researchers "who also worked for vaccine manufacturers to conduct population-based immunologic studies. . ."

regardless of what you think about the way she handled herself on larry king she has done wonderful things for children with autism. if i were in her shoes i would be upset also. fight the fight jenny.

i am the mother of an autistic child who has done much research on this particular topic. i don't believe that vaccines "cause" autism. i believe that these children suffer from an inability to release toxins and heavy metals (like the preservative thimersal in vaccines) from their bodies. when they are given up to ten vaccines at once, their bodies can't handle it and it affects the way their cells work. it's called mitochondrial disorder. and i do completely agree that vaccines worsen the condition. but i also agree that we need to vaccinate our children… just maybe one shot at a time followed by some sort of detoxification process.

@ginnipher: At what age is autism typically diagnosed?
At the school where I work, I hear about kids in their teens being tested. Is that normal?

i would hate to say there is a "typical" age that children are diagnosed. they are misdiagnosed at many different ages. i knew there was something "wrong" with my son when he was around 18-19 months. he was formally diagnosed autistic at age 4.

and being diagnosed as a teenager? odd, very odd. perhaps the parents could find no other way to get their child help short of having him "diagnosed autistic". it happens a Lot.

They shoot babies up with these crazy cocktails just days after they are born. My friend just had a baby–I don't have any yet. I wasn't aware of how crazy it's become. They kept pushing him. He was fine with the vaccinations, he just didn't want them all at once so early in. I mean, does a 2 week old baby need a hep vaccine?

Are the vaccines required, or are some optional, but suggested?

most are required to gain entrance into any public school in the US. the only ones that aren't are for things like chicken pox.

@ginnipher: I used to be a summer camp counselor in college, and we had a set of twins who were severly autistic. I think until she was about 9 the girl only spoke in points and grunts. I freakin' wish I was joking, it was terrible. The boy could speak, but his social skills weren't there. The worst thing was, their parents were convinced that those two were totally normal. They had no IEP or anything in school, I imagine life sucked for them.
Maybe their parents were in denial or thought mental illness was some kind of weakness. That could be the case here, but I don't know the families, just the kids.

In her book, she talks about a friend who she claims has a child who is autistic because of "a Hepatitus vaccination" he was given. There is no such thing. The woman is delusional.

kshaw
fyi hep b vaccine is regularly given to newborns in the hospital. i find that one to be particularly offense as the baby is so tiny and undeveloped, and the illness is sexually transmitted, why on earth would a newborn need it?

uuuummmm, because the baby is passing through the mother's birth canal?
of course these babies need vaccines. just ONE at a time.

@Snacky: my son didn't speak until he was five years old. he would point and grunt, headbutt you if he liked you. he's quite a character. but he's really come around. he just turned 7 on april 1 (yep, my april fool) and is actually starting to read. early intervention is the key. just helping these children speak/verbally communicate helps emmensely! there is so much anger in these children when they can't communicate their needs, wants, feelings.

That's why if Paris Hilton ever wants kids she's going have a C-Section… so the baby doesn't get the herpes.

But isn't the vaccine given after passing through the birth canal? So if that's really the supposed origin of a hep B risk, isn't it too late?

oh, and don't even get me started on freaking public schools and their IEP's for autistic children! it is nearly impossible to mainstream your autistic child. my son is for now.
i've been fighting for two years with my son's school to get basic speech and occupational therapy. i pay over $3,000 a month for private therapy when he's entitled to it through the public school system.

hmmm, good point, janice.

i must research ;)

I'm mostly just curious. I know there are antiretroviral drugs for HIV, which can be effective after exposure, so it's possible the Hep vaccine works the same way. I don't have kids, but I know that if I did, I would also be concerned about giving so many vaccinations to such a little, vulnerable person within such a short time span. I know I got some shots to go to Central America last year, and they knocked me on my ass for days. I can't imagine if I was 1/15th the size, receiving the same amount of shots.

this what i've found so far:

http://www.babycenter.com/0_th.....ne_1561.bc
"If you test positive, your baby should get an injection of hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIG), which provides short-term protection, within 12 hours of birth."

it's not the hep shot that is the problem. it's the MMR shot- measles, mumps, rubella- that is what most people are concerned with.

@ginnipher: I agree, early intervention is huge and staying involved. That's great that he's starting to read.
You're right on with the anger issue, I remember taping together a math assignment because the boy twin couldn't get the answer.

My sister also believes this train of thought. She is convinced that high dosages of vaccinations being injected into infants can cause a variety of different problems from SIDS to Autism. The problem is that nearly all children born today receive vaccinations so there is no way to really prove they cause these illnesses in some children. My sister recently had her first child at her home and they are choosing to selectively vaccinate her when she is older.

@ginnipher: That's a freaking joke. WTF? I thought districts were required to have at least one speech therapist per level? I know we have one here, she travels to all three middle schools in our district.

But then again, I have no idea where you live, so that should have tipped me off as to why things are different.

Yeah, I've heard about the MMR shot. I understand the need to protect children from diseases that they have no immune system to protect against, but at the same time, I'm always a little skeptical of how medicalized the birthing process has become. I guess it's all a personal choice, but with the little knowledge I have, I question whether this really is the best way, and whether women are actually informed of all the risks and options when they give birth. Does anyone know if there are repercussions to giving the shots a little bit later, or more spread out? Or this is just a case of the medical field believing its methods are best, and refusing to consider the alternatives?

yes, they are required to have one speech therapist per level per district. the problem is, we have 7 elementary schools in our district with hundreds (thousands possibly)of children who all need help. in my son's IEP he's to get two 45 minute speech sessions per week. he's lucky if he sees her once a month. i've gotten the TEA (Tx Education Agency) involved more than once. things change for a month or two, and go right back to where they were before.
it's not a joke. it's SICKENING!

I know this isn't what you mean janice, and I think your point is valid. But what do you think about this:
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=732626

I'm not sure if this got national coverage or not, but it's causing one hell of a ruckus here.
Go Wisconsin!

@ janice: isn't it always a case of doctor knows best?

@ginnipher: That just blows my mind. You'd think if there was such a high demand, the district would do something about it. Hell forget the district, the state should do something about it. Because when all is said and done, it's hurting the kids and it just sucks.

@SS: We had a case like that in BC a little while ago, where the Supreme Court intervened and forced a blood transfusion for a teenage girl whose parents were Jehovah's Witnesses. I honestly don't know what I think about that. Most of me says that a child should never be forced to die for the beliefs of the parents, but then again, who knows what the child would want? And what qualifies the state to say better than the parents? Honestly, those situations are always heart-wrenching. Not being a religious person myself, it's hard to put myself in the position of parents who would refuse treatment. I don't there there can possibly be a clear right or wrong in that situation.

@Snacky: you're absolutely right. however, most parents don't even realize their child CAN get help through the school. it's not like they hand out pamphlets letting you know what your tax dollars can be used for, although schools should if your child has been diagnosed with a disability.
and the money that should be used for Special Education gets used in other areas. Where I live, the school district gets two times the amount of money per day that "special needs" children attend. so, they diagnose kids left and right with all kinds of disorders and then use that money in other areas, not special education. that's another issue, though. sorry to get off topic. i know that NEVER happens here at mollygood!

Deimos, you're right, she HAS done wonderful things for kids with autism. She's even been dating one since December 2005.

Umm… I actually like Jim, by the way.

Hooray for Wisconsinites on Mollygood! :)

wait, I'M a wisconsinite too! yes, madison wisconsin: my soul's true home. and i totally have no beef with jim carrey (eternal sunshine anyone? even cable guy wasn't so bad) - i was just saying that he's not what one might call 'handsome' generally. its subjective though, you're right. i mean he floats her boat. and apparently ilnazhad's too! so whatevs - but yeah wisco kicks ass.

@janice: That's what I thought. I hate it when children die like that. And part of me just flies into a rage and I think "Those people are fucking morons". But I'm also not at all religious, so I can't say that I understood what these people were thinking or going through.

@ginnipher; Oh, I know what you mean. We have 5 secretaries, 2 assistant principals at our school alone. Yet we heard two weeks ago that they plan to cut 7 teachers from each middle school and some special programs. I don't freaking get it at all…

Milwaukee over here… which is pronounced Mil-lee-waa-kay, which is Algonquin for "The good Land".
Yeah Wayne's World and Wisconsin.

lived at 1815 greenwich av just up the block from beans and barley for a year, also in the knickerbocker hotel for 6 months. bet you know right where that is? i worked at garden homes elementary on the corner of something and teutonia…

@ janice: The birthing process and immunizations are two separate matters. I agree that birthing has become too mangaged by physicians, too "medicalized" in general. It's a very natural process, not a sickness.

Vaccinations, on the other hand, are a public health issue. All kids should be vaccinated for serious diseases (I would exclude chicken pox, ear infections), barring serious medical necessity. We are privileged enough to forget that diseases like polio, measles, etc. are serious enough to kill and cripple. Children worldwide die from them everyday. The threat of them is still serious enough that in some European countries, vaccines for some diseases are mandated. In fact, Belgium or the Netherlands (can't remember which) recently threatened jail time for parents who declined certain vaccines for their kids. Perhaps that goes a bit too far, but these are really serious issues, and we Americans forget that because we're so caught up in "personal choice" and personal freedom, even when it endangers others.

I'm not American (Canadian), although the similarities between our countries are probably very strong. My point isn't that children shouldn't be immunized, and I agree that there are a lot of serious illnesses that can kill children, especially newborns with un-or-underdeveloped immune systems. I just wonder to what extent 'efficiency' and medical paternalism play a role in how and when these vaccinations happen. Particularly in our own health care system, because of public funding, there is a motivation to cut down the amount of hospital visits and doctor visits for new parents, which could affect the vaccination schedule for newborns. Really, I'm just speculating, but from what I know about the history of medicine, "best practice" always changes, and I wonder to what extent our assumptions about vaccinations may need to be re-examined, especially because there is evidence that large doses of vaccinations may pose a risk to newborns–of course there are also studies which say the opposite.

And I only link the birthing process with vaccinations because it seems like the whole "baby" scenario is surrounded by a sense of danger and urgency; the idea that medical intervention is required and in the child's best interests. Yes, they are separate situations, but a common thread is that parents seem to receive very little or very biased information about both. They are both considered the field of 'experts' who don't need to share their knowledge, which I think is a difficult dynamic.

Janice: Oops. I thought after I submitted, "Not everyone on here is from the US." Sorry about that. Also, my second paragraph was not directed at you in particular; I was just putting in my two cents.

No worries! I honestly don't know enough about all this to get up in arms for any side. I research in a totally different branch of bioethics, though, so I do find it a hugely interesting discussion.

Anyway, I should cease lurking on this thread, and go do some actual work… booooooo.

My wacky story- I'm in Alberta where the schedule for either the menigiococcal or pneumococcal (sorry, I forget which one it was) is only one dose after 24 months, but more before. I took my daughter one week before her 2nd birthday, and they were SO stringent that they insisted she have the second dose in 1 month's time because that was how the schedule was set. I said that she would be 24 months in a week, and there was no way I was taking her back AGAIN. Like one weeks makes a difference, but that's how inflexible the medical community is.

@adeline.jane: Holy shit, really? A good friend of mine lives on Stowell, which is off of Prospect, about 5 minutes from there. I do know right where that is.

I think it's pretty misinformed to say that Jenny doesn't know "what the hell she's talking about." Sure, she's not a physician, but she has done a lot of research on the topic. She has also done lobbying in D.C. on the issue. I read an article with her in People a while back, and she was very knowledgeable… plus, who hasn't gotten fired up when talking about a cause close to their hearts? Maybe it's Cord who doesn't know what the hell he's talking about. :P

I agree Erica. Just because Jenny doesn't have a degree does not mean she can do some research. She's passionate because it happened to her son for goodness sakes'. Jenny isn't against vaccinations, she's just asking as to why so many and why the same dosages for each baby..kind of a "one size fits all" shot because everyone's reaction to medicine is different so why don't we take that into consideration with our baby's vaccinations? She's also frustrated because the doctor's are just like, "no, vaccines, doesn't cause autism" when they won't even research, or look into several cases that MAYBE, MAYBE, in some cases, and in some babies, it DOES. and if the doctor's just open their minds a tiny tiny bit to the possibility, so many children's lives can be saved.

isn't the fact that not everyone has autism (or at least the same degree of autism) proof that vaccines don't cause autism? if we accept that vaccines AND certain genetic codes interact to produce autism then it seems that trying to find out the genes that are negatively affected by vaccinations would be where to spend the time.

also, how is jenny mccarthy's "research" more (or less) valid than the doctors? you can say that she doesn't have to have a degree to know something, but you can't also say that because the doctors do have degrees that they don't know something.

i think it's likely that some children have a more adverse reaction to vaccinations than others, but these cases are exceptions rather than rules. merely observing this does not mean, as mccarthy suggested, that those lives are more or less expendable than other lives, it means merely that it will be trickier to find a solution that would be applicable and beneficial to many.

there is absolutely no correlation between autism and vaccinations. Idiots like this one find one little shred of bullshit and jump all over it, thinking they have finally found the grail. People need to educate themselves before opening their pieholes.

Hey, thanks for clearing that up hunkerga. While you are it, why don't you let us, and the entire scientific community (who can't yet say one way or the other) just what is the cause is. Or at least why it definitively isn't a combination of genetics and vaccinations?

Hey guys, listen up, hunkerga knows what causes autism.

Vaccines are the cause of many instances and forms of autism. You can choose not to have your child vaccinated. My child is not and has only been ill once where she needed an antibiotic once in her entire 14 years of life. Mothering magazine has a great number of articles and scientific research supporting the fact that vaccines have a direct correlation to autism. Jenny was indeed passionate and many more should question why kids are still being subjected to these dangerous substances.

many children suffer a high fever and will cry for hours after receiving a vaccination. Many doctors will ask that the child be given a dose of Tylenol or Motrin prior to the shot appointment. Those children that have that very strong reaction are those most likely to develop forms of austim. Those that do not exhibit the high fever/crying are less likely to develop autism.

but then, veryconcernedparent, vaccines cannot, as you say in post no 55, be the cause of autism (in any form). what you've outlined is that vaccines and genetics have a correlation to autism. by no means, anywhere, has it been proven that vaccines cause autism. unless we're all (all who have been vaccinated) some form of autistic (including vaccinated jenny mccarthy).

Not to sound overly paranoid or conspiratory but it would be in the governments best interest to tell people that vaccines are completely safe. They've lied about far worse. There is BIG money made in it. Legislation requires children to have specific vaccines prior to enrollment in school. It's an enormous cash cow. I'm not saying every parent should stop vaccinating their children from polio or ruebella etc. but vaccines in general are some shady business. They can cause some serious side effects in children. When I was little a girl down the street from me was given a vaccination that caused a severe reaction. She became very sick with a very high fever that caused her to become mentally handicaped. Vaccines are not 100% safe and can have serious side effects. In some cases, it has been linked to autism. It can act like a catalyst for a predisposition for it. Vaccines used to contain much higher levels of mercury than they do now, but for some children, any level of mercury is too much.

Everyone should read this article. http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/Arti.....TVNewsAt11

This just shows that as much as researchers and physicians don't know what causes autism, we know even less. So vehemently defending the idea that "vaccines cause autism" is a great disservice to those who are affected by the condition. Not only does it detract attention from other possible causes (heavy metals such as lead and mercury in our toys/food, water and household items which causes neurological and developmental problems, higher amounts of toxic chemicals in our bodies since the induction of plastics, hormones, etc.) but it also influences the less educated to make rash decisions based on unsubstantiated claims. I cannot say that vaccines do not cause problems in children, but it still remains that the benefits outweigh the risk and until it is proven, they should not be villified. It is obvious that Jenny McCarthy is well intentioned, but she is also ill informed and spreading false information and false hope. I don't know if anyone saw her on Oprah, but she claimed that many people (especially autistic children) suffer from an infection with Candida. She mentioned that a special diet meant to rid the body of Candida helped her son's symptoms. Candida albicans, as most of you probably know already, is a yeast that is normally found in the warm mucous membrane areas of our body. You cannot completely rid your body of it, unless you take antifungals on a continous basis(not a good idea for the liver!!). The only time they cause any real problem is when your normal flora bacterial count is low (after taking antibiotics, individuals can get a yeast infection) or when your immune system cannot control its growth (as in AIDs, illness, vit deficiency etc). The point is, I would be careful in who I get the "facts" from and wait until there is cold hard evidence of the cause before I make a judgement call.

Cord, I'm pretty sure you're the one who doesn't know what the hell they're talking about.
Everyone's already said all I wanted to say, kudos on an interesting thread.

jill!

you can't accuse someone of not knowing what he's talking about and then run away!

well…you can…but it makes you look douchey.

it took us 60 posts to articulate what jill could have done in one. kudos to us…i guess?

One fact: Autism does usually manifest itself after a certain number of vaccinations, at a certain age. I know many children, including my own, who has had the prescribed vaccinations, who are perfectly fine. I think the "vaccination" factor is causing many to forgo looking into other options, such as gestational, genetical, environmental, and ecological factors. Perhaps this is a "roadblock" in coming to a conclusion. Just thinking…

Hmmm, why not souldecirce? It's not like he's about to respond to engage in a debate with me. Plus, that's pretty much how these things work you make a comment, say what you have to say and get on with your life.
Yes, it did take 60 posts of people basically saying the same thing over and over again, most of which I agree with, to articulate what I have to say.
I'm sorry, who here looks douchey?

DreamChaser, your post is the most informative and accurate. Thank you for the logos, not just the ethos.

lots of varied viewpoints, here. you say you agree with them (even though some are opposing viewpoints), and then say Cord doesn't know what he's talking about?

i guess i wasn't clear enough when i wrote: you. you look douchey. a tad.

I believe I used the phrase "most of which I agree with" so , that would not mean I agree with each variety of view points.
I'd like to know what makes me different than everyone else disagreeing with what Cord said.
You're kind of an ass, dude. Just so ya know.

ilnazhad, thanks for the kind words. Jumping on the bandwagon, so to say, steers everyone away from the pursuit of the truth in order to satisfy the need for quick vindication. I understand that when tragedy occurs, we as humans need to place blame, and in order to understand why, seek to label a specific cause of our painful circumstances, a sort of coping mechanism. Instead, we need focus our energy on finding hard facts to support our theories instead of prematurely defending them based on emotions and hearsay.

Dream Chaser, I think I had a couple of classes with you. :-)

I just wanted to say: the school districts in California will let you sign a waiver if you don't get the immunizations for your child.

California now also requires a first grade physical, that a parent can also sign a waiver for.

DreamChaser, is your dream hagdom? Because it is a crying shame you rarely check-in.
Busy with you kids? Well, tell those pussies to breastfeed themselves with their own tits. Don't worry! It actually enhances their quality of life. I haven't heard my baby cry EVEN ONCE since I made the change.

Hi lisa–
I dont claim to know what causes autism, just what doesnt. I guess all those years in graduate and medical school and you know more than I. why am I even here? You all want the golden egg, so here it is. Vaccines cause autism! BTW, I do research on hep B,C and they are not sexually transmitted. I hope you people dont vote.

I think you guys should be very careful using anecdotal information for something as important as this.
Look at the UNICEF figures for the number of women and children that die each year in childbirth.
In America & Europe where childbirth is now 'medicinalized' approx 1 woman dies in childbirth for every 10,000 babies born. In the early 1900's, that rate was 10 times higher.
In third world countries TODAY 1 woman in 16 will die while giving birth.
I myself was born and raised in a 3rd world country and you will be surprised how many women and children die in childbirth. For centuries its how human population was kept in check.
Giving birth is natural… but so is death so see a doctor while you are pregnant!
http://www.who.int/reproductiv.....index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maternal_death

hunkerga: You are spreading misinformation.
Hep-B is spread though bodily fluids including those exchanged in sexual contact. In fact, the CDC advises sexually active people (esp gay men) to get the vaccine!
Hep-C is spread though blood and yes that can happen in sex. Mothers can pass to their children. There is no vaccine.
Hep-A has alot to do with hygene of yourself and the persons you come into contact with. If any infected object goes into your mouth (body-part, spoons, dirty water) it can spread the disease to you. There is a vaccine.
http://www.hepatitis.va.gov/

Queencrone, I think I sat by you and copied your notes :). ilnazhad, I think you are right, I am shooting for hagdom. I have 17 final exams in the next two and a half weeks and a board exam in three. Excuse my lack of checking in…..My brain is about to disintegrate, I need sleep (and a life!) :).

Hill-

I thought you people were too stupid to go into any detail about the spread of hep. Sorry about that, but the vast majority of hep is NOT sexually transmitted. It's from contaminated water and foodstuffs as well as shared drug use. I dont need your website, I do the research.

BTW, how many science degrees do you have?

I'm sorry she watched her son die. Good Lord I had no idea about that. Glad for this appearance, though, wish I'd seen the whole thing. Fan of hers again.

So if you "do the research" don't you feel obligated to inform the public? The CDC does list sexual transmission under Hep B. Or do you only inform those with multiple science degrees who do research on hep b and hep c? And maybe occasionally those posting on a gossip site?

hunkerga reminds me of that joke - what do you call a doctor who graduates last in his med school class?

Doctor.

Also, my research suggests…you are an ass.

souldecirce, I did not mention genetics as a cause to the reaction. I mentioned that some will respond and others not. Autism has many forms some very mild to severe. some children exhibit more indications than others. I researched this before deciding not to have my child vaccinated. One of the biggest reasons is that I was vaccinated as a child and yet have had three forms of rebella and am still not immune. Vaccines are not a cure all and the risk is not something I wanted to take with my child. Look into the rising number of autism, ADD and other disorders such as sensory integration and you'll find that many of these afflicted had a very strong, negative reation to vaccines.

MildApplause,

I don't think her son died, he just has autism.

I applaud her enthusiastically. I have worked with and for doctors for many years and trust me, they don't know anything about what doesn't concern them. You just have to go to a male gynecologist to know that if it isn't textbook they cant address it. She is passionate because she has lived with a child w/ autism. If the government would unveil all of the secrecy about autism among other syndromes and illnesses we would probably be shocked to learn what lies beneath.

@very concerned parent:you seem to pretty educated on this topic. however, sensory integration is not a disorder. it is a therapy for sensory problems. autistic children "feel" things differently than we do, so they are offered the sensory integration as a way to help ease the physical (and emotional) discomfort. i've been doing it for my son for about two years now and am always learning more.

Also, just because the interaction might be one between vaccines and genetics doesn't mean that you can't say vaccines can cause autism. Exposure to certain chemicals and genetics can cause cancer, but the chemicals are still considered carcinogenic. Repeated head trauma and genetics can cause Alzheimers, but it's still referred to as Pugilistic Alzheimers. I don't know what role vaccines actually play, but of course there are genetic interactions, and just because we're not all, each one of us, autistic, doesn't mean they're not a direct cause in some children–which the science is still unclear about.

i personally believe autism is a direct result of mitochondrial disorder which is aggrivated by the preservative thimersal that is used in vaccines. if we can get the mitochondria in the cells properly functioning, then we will see less and less "autistic symptoms". detoxing the body is the first step. and i believe it's CRUCIAL to do this after we have our children vaccinated.
but what do i know? i'm not a doctor, just another very concerned parent of an autistic child.

and mitochondrial disorder is Genetic.

Listen, hunker, this isn't an educational dick measuring competiton. It is the internets, dude, and I could lie.

What I will say is this: have vaccines been disproven to be a cause? No. Is there plausible correlation? To some people, yes. Is it a viable, if fringe, theory? Yep. You or I or whomever may not agree with it, but there it is.

Maybe you didn't like my hyperbole, so fine, ignore the last bit. It is true to say that correlation does not equal causation, but to reject the possible correlation of vaccines and autism as even a possibility? Well, let's just hope you and your advanced degrees aren't doing reserach. Unless you have some unpublished research proving lack of correlation?

damn, Lisa. I'm pretty sure what you just posted is the verbal equivalent of getting served.

Ginnipher, thank for the clarification. I know children who have sensory issues and I obviously confused the term for treatment for the discomfort. I know one child who spins like a whirling dervish to get centered…something that would cause the rest of us to become sick.
As parents we all do what we think is right for our children, whatever it may be and some will disagree. Jenny Mccarthy is doing what she thinks is best for her child.
Carly, you are right on about some dr's only knowing what they want. I was misdiagnosed with RA when I was suffering a severe allergy to a food product. Blood tests were inconclusive to his diagnosis but he had to lable it — for himself more than me.

I know I'm coming in late on this, but this story about an autistic girl was aired on a local vancouver tv station and I thought it pertinent to share it with all of you.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/Arti...../20080322/

Not vaccinating your child just because any perceived threat of autism is risky (and I do not mean to be glib or missive to any parents of autistic children, my son is 5months and both my husband and I have thought alot about and done a lot of research on these shots and the possibility of autism). With large percentages of the world underdeveloped and not getting any vaccinations at all, diseases that used to be eradicated (such as polio and the mumps, which will kill your child by the way) are now appearing in mainstream US again. Other countries give the MMR shot later than 2yrs old (the age at which most cases of autism are diagnosed) and their percent of autistic cases is not different.