I put this in the DEEP DARK CELLAR because I cannot imagine a poltical component to it. A person might argue with various regulations but surely no one argues that children should get sick.

The risk this fool caused, (pause for a second) is the risk of death! (YES, measles in children can and did cause death.) (--think about that--) And to do this to children is unforgivable. This is not how you do science, ever, under any circumstance. It's not that I don't want a cure for Autism. That is a serious problem and it deserves research. BUT BUT BUT, not at this expense. Not with this meme...

From the political blog: DAILY KOS

Anti-Vaccination Scientist Accused Of Manipulating Data

by DemFromCT (http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/2/8/ ... 592/695030)

Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 06:25:05 PM PST

From the Sunday Times (UK):

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_a ... 683671.ece

MMR doctor Andrew Wakefield fixed data on autism

THE doctor who sparked the scare over the safety of the MMR vaccine for children changed and misreported results in his research, creating the appearance of a possible link with autism, a Sunday Times investigation has found.

From Bad Astronomy:

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badas ... cine-link/

About 10 years ago, [Andrew] Wakefield published a study dealing with children who were autistic, developing symptoms shortly after getting their shots, and linked this with irritated intestinal tracts. This study came under a lot of fire, and eventually most of the authors retracted the conclusion that autism was associated with "environmental factors", that is, vaccinations. By then, though, it was too late, and the modern antivaccination movement was born.

In 1998, Andrew Wakefield published data in the Lancet purporting to claim that Measles, Mumps and German Measles (MMR) vaccines were associated with autism. From that time on, arguments have ensued about the safety of vaccinations and their relationship with autism. Wakefield's data has been challenged before, as well as his relationship with sponsored research, which he did not fully disclose. From the Beeb, in 2007:

His study focused on tests carried out on 12 children who had been referred to the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead for gastrointestinal problems.

At the same time, Dr Wakefield was paid to carry out another study to find out if parents who claim their children were damaged by the MMR vaccine had a case. Some children were involved in both studies.

The Lancet says it was not informed of this and that together they represent a potential conflict of interest which would have led it to reject the paper.

And there's more on the impact of the original study. From the Sunday Times (UK):

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_a ... 683671.ece

Despite involving just a dozen children, the 1998 paper’s impact was extraordinary. After its publication, rates of inoculation fell from 92% to below 80%. Populations acquire "herd immunity" from measles when more than 95% of people have been vaccinated.

And because of that, children became ill. As ScienceBlog's Aetiology (Tara Smith) notes:

http://scienceblogs.com/aetiology/2009/ ... _we_st.php

This is truly incredible. Even being familiar with Wakefield's statements over the past decade about his research, and his complete denial about studies that have contradicted his own findings, it's still pretty shocking that he completely made up data, and then pushed it for ten years as children around the world became ill and even died in light of his research. It's even more disgusting in light of the fact that I doubt this new information will change many minds when it comes to vaccination--the meme has already spread too far to let a little thing like atrocious scientific misconduct rein it in now.

Sigh. Some things just make you sick to your stomach. The only silver lining is what we all hope will be a return to fact-based science (the hallmark of which is reproducibility) going forward.

That's the end of the post.

I am not a scientist, but I know that if one gets a result from his research that cannot be replicated, that usually indicates that his efforts are flawed. Fabricated data to support a predetermined conclusion is not unusual in the realm of the medical faddist. Going all the way back to John Harvey Kellogg and his grape and high colonic regimen. I am highly disappointed, but not at all surprised that Wakefield falsified his research. He should be put in prison.

Speed

This, about Wakefield, from the Times of London, might interest you.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/commen ... 729053.ece

We need an inquiry into how Andrew Wakefield got away with it

David Aaronovitch

"This week Australia was pronounced to be “measles-free”. A few days earlier, health figures from England and Wales showed that measles cases last year had risen to 1,348 cases – the highest level for 13 years, and up by more than a third on 2007.

Had there not been a doctor called Andrew Wakefield, apparently convinced of a link between measles and autism that no one else could find, and that was rebutted by every epidemiological study ever undertaken, would Britain not be enjoying a similar status as Australia?

Everything, it turns out, to do with Dr Wakefield's study and his claims, first published in The Lancet ten years ago, was wrong. His cases were not referred at random, nor – when their medical records were examined – did they show the proximity between the onset of symptoms and MMR vaccination that was suggested. Subsequently it was discovered through investigation - not volunteered by Dr Wakefield – that he had received hundreds of thousands of pounds in fees for acting as an expert witness for parents who believed their children had been harmed by the MMR jab. At every stage he has sought to intimidate critics with libel action, and to impress supporters with promises of the imminent definitive proof of his theories. No libel action has ever gone to trial and no proof (or, indeed, evidence) has been forthcoming.

One hopes he was sincere, as otherwise it is hard not to use the word “charlatan” in connection with the now well-heeled physician. But he could not have done it on his own. He needed The Lancet, and its Editor, Richard Horton, who published Dr Wakefield's paper and then for several years defended it. He needed some of the laziest health journalism that this country has seen. He needed that absurd mood of “my opinion is as good as that of the scientific community” that swept middle-class Britain, and was given voice by TV dramatists and know-nothing celebrities."

MMR scare doctor makes fortune in US

Q&A: Wakefield and the MMR vaccine

When they have finished with the bankers, MPs should inquire how Dr Wakefield did it, and how he still gets away with it.

Transward

Dave (imported) wrote: Tue Feb 10, 2009 8:00 pm I put this in the DEEP DARK CELLAR because I cannot imagine a poltical component to it. A person might argue with various regulations but surely no one argues that children should get sick.

The risk this fool caused, (pause for a second) is the risk of death! (YES, measles in children can and did cause death.) (--think about that--) And to do this to children is unforgivable. This is not how you do science, ever, under any circumstance. It's not that I don't want a cure for Autism. That is a serious problem and it deserves research. BUT BUT BUT, not at this expense. Not with this meme...

Dave,

Unfortunately, there *is* a political component to it, simply because so much misinformation has made its way into the public consciousness. Even worse, this crap is being foisted by 'advocates' like Autism Speaks! AS and their ilk spew crap like, "Autism is worse than AIDS and cancer!", but provide *no* explanation of *why*!

It doesn't surprise me that Wakefield is an utter, blatant *fraud*; that kind of charlatanism is *rampant* in the autistic community!

What generally happens with autistic children is that they appear to be developing normally until somewhere between 2-3 years of age, then they start regressing. The reason that the MMR vaccines have gotten the bad rap is that this is *also* the point when kids get most of their vaccinations. From all indications, it's just a matter of timing; parents first notice the autistic symptoms *after* the kids get vaccinated, so they assume that the vaccinations *caused* the autism.

What happens next is that parents panic. They think, "I don't want an *autistic* child, I want my *normal* child back!", and eventually, they get to the point of being *so* desperate, they'll do *anything* that claims to provide a 'cure' for their children!

And some of these people *hate* autism, to the point of being *pathological*!

To date, *no* 'treatment' has been substantively proven to be effective for *curing* autism; in fact, most of the available 'treatments' operate on the premise that autism is like a 'shell', and if you crack the shell, out pops a 'normal child'.

That's where the charlatans come in...

So when parents hear about some 'miracle cure' like chelation, gluten/casein-free diet, etc., they'll break down the doors to cure their kids! The kids might show some improvement, so the parents claim that they were 'cured', and the fallacy persists...

And kids get hurt because of it.

-YFA

hooo BOY!

IT may NOT be that there is MORE Autism.

...it may be that they are doing a better job of diagnosing it.

...if you prefer, the Autistic were called many other mental diseases in the past, now they are finally being recognized for having what it is...

... Need to look at ALL forms of mental abdnormalities. If ALL have increased, then Autism may be the cause, however, if all have decreased or remained at the same rates of diagnosis, then what was once diagnosed as being other things are not being called Autism.

YourPhriendlyAuthor,

You raise some interesting points, but I do take some objection to your tone.

Let me ask you this - have you ever had to deal with a special-needs child?

I have - and let me tell you, that you WILL grasp at any straw that comes along that even offers the faintest glimmer of hope for *normality* for said child.

This whole thing with the "mercury tainted MMR vaccines" was indeed a tragedy, but in no way does it invalidate the struggles, or the steps that parents will take for the sake of their child.

I read YPA's tone differently. To me he sounds like someone who has first-hand experience with a child with a major disorder – his own or someone close. Where there is no clear cause and no proven treatment, parents/caregivers grasp at any straw they can find. Charlatans can far too easily take advantage of them, to the detriment of the child.

And then, when the charlatan is exposed, there will still be "true believers" who "KNOW" the truth and will not be deterred by evidence....

It ain't the mercury. It is a variant of

Guillain - Barre Syndrome where by after

an immune response of any virus or bacteria -

the immune system starts to attack the nervous system.

As the social developing areas of the brain are the

quickest developing in the child, the vaccination, any

vaccination may result in this sort of brain damage.

There are just too many vaccines required and even

Hepatitis B on the day of birth - when no immune system functions.

The pharmaceutical - government complex.

Required vaccines should be pared down to Polio and DPT.

All others, voluntary. Then their would be only about six

antigens and six opportunities for guillain - barre autism.

When you count up today's vaccines and add the number

of antigens in each one guillain - bare induced autsim would

become more prevelent. A Califoriia hospital did loose a court

case that they created a 'gourd" via over vaccination in one

visit trying to catch up missed vaccines.

I have no doubt we are over vaccinating children at

too young an age.

Dave,

YourPhriendlyAuthor (imported) wrote: Mon Feb 16, 2009 6:13 am Unfortunately, there *is* a political component to it, simply because so much misinformation has made its way into the public consciousness.

...

So when parents hear about some 'miracle cure' like chelation, gluten/casein-free diet, etc., they'll break down the doors to cure their kids! The kids might show some improvement, so the parents claim that they were 'cured', and the fallacy persists...

And kids get hurt because of it.

...

-YFA

This man is the source of that misinformation. It was wrong. Not only that, he put "normal" kids in jeopardy with the stupidity of not getting MMR vaccine. That falls on his shoulders.

I will never fault the parents of a special needs child when it comes to all these odd treatments. I've worked with special needs kids and I know what those parents feel.

How does he live with himself knowing that he hurt children and their parents needlessly?

Not to mention that he probably delayed the research into the disease because too many researcher focused on the vaccines and not the condition.

While I suspect that we will eventually discover that “autism” is a catch-all category for several different disorders, there is one recent article that shows an interesting correlation between fetal testosterone levels and autistic behavior in children at ages 6 to 10. Correlation does NOT equal causation in either direction, but it ought to bring attention to the subject and lead to further research to see if there is some sort of causal relationship.

The study encompassed 235 children for whom fetal testosterone had been measured for entirely other medical purposes. Their mothers were quizzed about autistic-type behavior in these children at a much later date. NONE of the children actually has been diagnosed with autism, so this is yet one more level removed from a causal study. Girls who were exposed to higher testosterone levels in utero were more likely to demonstrate autistic-type traits than those exposed to lower levels. Boys exposed to higher testosterone levels were also more likely to demonstrate autistic-type traits. When both populations were shown on a scatter diagram, they clustered along a line running from low T/low autistic traits to high T/high autistic-traits. The correlation is high enough to be considered significant.

Simon Baron-Cohen, the second listed author and the head of the Autism Research Center at Cambridge University where the research was conducted, is probably the world's best-known autism researcher, and the author of some excellent books on the subject including the classic Mindblindness and The Essential Difference.

It’s much too early to pass judgment on this study (published only this month), but it certainly provides interesting food for thought….

Fetal testosterone and autistic traits

Authors: Auyeung, Bonnie1; Baron-Cohen, Simon1; Ashwin, Emma1; Knickmeyer, Rebecca1; Taylor, Kevin2; Hackett, Gerald3

Source: British Journal of Psychology, Volume 100, Number 1, February 2009 , pp. 1-22(22)

Publisher: British Psychological Society

Abstract:

Studies of amniotic testosterone in humans suggest that fetal testosterone (fT) is related to specific (but not all) sexually dimorphic aspects of cognition and behaviour. It has also been suggested that autism may be an extreme manifestation of some male-typical traits, both in terms of cognition and neuroanatomy. In this paper, we examine the possibility of a link between autistic traits and fT levels measured in amniotic fluid during routine amniocentesis. Two instruments measuring number of autistic traits (the Childhood Autism Spectrum Test (CAST) and the Child Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ-Child)) were completed by these women about their children (N=235), ages 6-10 years. Intelligence Quotient (IQ) was measured in a subset of these children (N=74). fT levels were positively associated with higher scores on the CAST and AQ-Child. This relationship was seen within sex as well as when the sexes were combined, suggesting this is an effect of fT rather than of sex per se. No relationships were found between overall IQ and the predictor variables, or between IQ and CAST or AQ-Child. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that prenatal androgen exposure is related to children exhibiting more autistic traits. These results need to be followed up in a much larger sample to test if clinical cases of ASC have elevated fT.

DOI: 10.1348/000712608X311731

Affiliations: 1: Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK 2: Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK 3: Department of Foetal Medicine, Rosie Maternity Hospital, Cambridge, UK