Re: Please send letters to the ChicagoTribune

June 25, 2006

Give the reporter a D, ask her to read www.putchildrenfirst.org, and

then write a better article. KB

>

> Below are emails to contact the Tribune. This was a one-sided,

factless, agenda-written piece. They need to hear about children

getting better, the science, and the politics. If you can, drop

them a note.

>

> Thanks.

>

> ctc-Comment@...

> PublicEditor@...

> mbreslin@...

> ctc-editor@...

>

> http://tinyurl.com/q3ngd

>

> Painful questions of blame Parents, doctors and the disputed

link between vaccines and autism

>

> By Meg McSherry Breslin

> a Tribune staff reporter

> Published June 25, 2006

>

> It has been nearly 50 years since mothers shouldered the blame

for their children's autism. Yet for many parents, echoes of that

painful era remain.

>

> In the 1950s and '60s, the medical community accepted University

of Chicago psychoanalyst Bruno Bettelheim's assessment

that " refrigerator mothers " --those with a supposedly cold, unloving

demeanor--brought on their children's disorder.

>

> Although we now know that autism is a neurological disorder and

not the result of bad parenting, the exact cause remains a mystery.

>

> Many parents, however, are convinced they've found the answer. And

most experts are on the opposing side.

>

> Indeed, few medical battles are more charged than that between

parents who believe mercury in their children's vaccines brought on

autism and the medical establishment that has found no evidence to

support that claim.

>

> Not only do these families feel enormous frustration with the many

doctors who dismiss their theories, but they sometimes blame

themselves for what happened while also struggling with the terrible

stress of caring for an autistic child.

>

> This sensitive issue was brought into sharp relief last month

after a 37-year-old Peoria area doctor was charged with first-degree

murder in the death of her 3-year-old autistic daughter, who was

suffocated. Police say the doctor confessed to the murder, though

she has entered a plea of not guilty. Friends of McCarron said

the murder charges came as a shock. Still, many said they recognized

emotional turmoil in McCarron in the months before 's death.

>

> Some who knew McCarron through her work with an autism support

group say the physician blamed herself for allowing her daughter to

be vaccinated, and feared that the available remedies wouldn't make

enough of an improvement to her daughter's quality of life. Others

suggest that perhaps working among other doctors skeptical of the

vaccine connection created an emotional tug of war for McCarron.

>

> " I just think she had a lot of guilt, " said Dr. Ayoub, a

radiologist and associate professor at Southern Illinois University

who occasionally talked with McCarron. Ayoub is a leading supporter

of the mercury-causes-autism theory and is trying to dig up evidence

to prove it.

>

> Much of the passion surrounding this issue stems from the fact

that autism can be one of the most difficult disorders to manage.

Though cases range from mild to severe, the toughest ones can be

harrowing for parents, some of whom have to watch their children

constantly for fear they will jump in front of a car, bang their

head against a wall, or lash out at others. Some parents describe

the most extreme cases as being like having a hyperactive 2-year-old

who never grows out of his impulsive, risky behaviors.

>

> Understandably, parents want the mysteries that surround autism to

be settled, to have some answer for why the number of cases has

exploded. Having the medical community discount their beliefs makes

them feel as if all hope of their children improving has been

stripped from them.

>

> " All of us have been told pretty much the same thing, " said

Blakey, an Oak Park mother whose 6-year-old son has

autism. " The doctors all say this is very, very serious and this is

a very debilitating disorder. There is no cure and there are no

treatments. So we're at odds with the medical community now. "

>

> Like other parents who believe in the mercury connection, Blakey

says some acceptance of their theory might lead to better treatment

of their children. She and other parents say that once they began

looking at their children as being poisoned by mercury, their

approach to autism treatment changed and their children began

getting better.

>

> After Blakey found a Chicago-area doctor willing to work with her

son on a controversial treatment called chelation therapy--which

removes mercury and other toxic metals from the body--she saw

dramatic change in her son's behavior. She said a wheat- and dairy-

free diet has also produced positive changes, yet many doctors she

initially consulted were skeptical.

>

> The idea that mercury in childhood vaccines causes autism has

circulated for years, with parents saying their children were

developing normally until they received certain vaccinations.

>

> But the American Medical Association, the Institute of Medicine

and the American Academy of Pediatrics, among others, have concluded

there is no scientific data to support a mercury-autism link,

despite an exhaustive review of cases worldwide. Nonetheless,

mercury has been phased out of most childhood vaccines, although

some parents say the move is too recent to determine what effect it

might have on autism rates.

>

> While recognizing parents' frustrations, some doctors say they

don't engage in mercury-related treatments because they're obligated

to stay away from unproven remedies that could do more harm than

good. Chelation, for instance, could strip the body of essential

minerals as well, said Dr. Leventhal, a University of

Illinois at Chicago psychiatrist, an expert on autism and the

director of an Illinois task force on the disorder.

>

> Furthermore, Leventhal is convinced mercury does not trigger

autism.

>

> " If mercury was the cause, we'd be all over it, " he said. " It

might help shed some light on what areas of the brain are damaged

and it might give us some clues to the genetic susceptibility and

help us find some answers. But unfortunately, it just isn't turning

out to be the case. "

>

> Schreibman, director of the Autism Research Program at the

University of California at San Diego and author of the 2005

book " The Science and Fiction of Autism, " says intense behavioral

therapy is the only proven treatment to improve the effects of

autism.

>

> But she understands why parents are drawn to alternative therapies

designed at drawing out mercury.

>

> " There's a lot of distrust that families have with the scientific

community, " she said. " But it all boils down largely to the fact

that we don't have the answers. I can't tell you what causes autism. "

>

> Meanwhile, parents continue to make their case, reaching out to

lawmakers, government officials and physicians to tell their stories.

>

> Among them is Elmwood Park mom Conrick, who has a 13-year-

old daughter, , with autism.

>

> " I'm 100 percent sure that my daughter's autism is a direct result

of the mercury in her vaccines, " Conrick said. " And when I found all

this out, it was enraging. First you get a diagnosis and [you're

told] there's no hope, then you find out that it was something you

thought would help and you were mandated to do it for school. "

>

> Conrick is a board member of a national group called ACHAMP, or

Advocates for Children's Health Affected by Mercury Poisoning. That

group tries to pressure government agencies to further explore the

mercury connection and to keep vaccines free of mercury,

particularly because they say the flu vaccine--while voluntary--

still contains traces.

>

> Whatever comes of the mercury battle and its aggressive

treatments, it's clear the emotional damage from such a debilitating

disorder continues on a painful path.

>

> JJ Hanley, a Wilmette mother of an autistic child, produced a 2002

documentary called " Refrigerator Mothers, " interviewing dozens of

mothers from that era. It was heartbreaking to hear stories of women

blamed for a disorder even as they struggled daily to manage it, she

said.

>

> Looking at all this information, what do parents of newly

diagnosed children do? Go the safe route and avoid the alternative

treatments? Try intensive behavior therapy, despite the fact that

it's expensive and may not be offered through their school district?

>

> The fact that these decisions must be made quickly, while the

disorder is in its early stages and children's brains are developing

rapidly, adds to the stress.

>

> This is one of the saddest aspects of the struggle to find a cure

for autism. As long as the answers remain a source of debate, the

journey for parents only becomes more difficult.

>

> ----------

>

> mbreslin@...

>

> PublicEditor@..., mbreslin@... CC: " Sam L. Roe "

<sroe@...>, mhawthorne@..., " D. Deardorff " <jdeardorff@...>,

jritter@..., info@..., rep@..., karenmay60@..., garrett@...,

granbergkm@...

> http://tinyurl.com/q3ngd

>

> Painful questions of blameParents, doctors and the disputed link

between vaccines and autism

>

> By Meg McSherry Breslin

> a Tribune staff reporter

> Published June 25, 2006

>

> It has been nearly 50 years since mothers shouldered the blame

for their children's autism. Yet for many parents, echoes of that

painful era remain.

>

> In the 1950s and '60s, the medical community accepted University

of Chicago psychoanalyst Bruno Bettelheim's assessment

that " refrigerator mothers " --those with a supposedly cold, unloving

demeanor--brought on their children's disorder.

>

> Although we now know that autism is a neurological disorder and

not the result of bad parenting, the exact cause remains a mystery.

>

> Many parents, however, are convinced they've found the answer. And

most experts are on the opposing side.

>

> Indeed, few medical battles are more charged than that between

parents who believe mercury in their children's vaccines brought on

autism and the medical establishment that has found no evidence to

support that claim.

>

> Not only do these families feel enormous frustration with the many

doctors who dismiss their theories, but they sometimes blame

themselves for what happened while also struggling with the terrible

stress of caring for an autistic child.

>

> This sensitive issue was brought into sharp relief last month

after a 37-year-old Peoria area doctor was charged with first-degree

murder in the death of her 3-year-old autistic daughter, who was

suffocated. Police say the doctor confessed to the murder, though

she has entered a plea of not guilty. Friends of McCarron said

the murder charges came as a shock. Still, many said they recognized

emotional turmoil in McCarron in the months before 's death.

>

> Some who knew McCarron through her work with an autism support

group say the physician blamed herself for allowing her daughter to

be vaccinated, and feared that the available remedies wouldn't make

enough of an improvement to her daughter's quality of life. Others

suggest that perhaps working among other doctors skeptical of the

vaccine connection created an emotional tug of war for McCarron.

>

> " I just think she had a lot of guilt, " said Dr. Ayoub, a

radiologist and associate professor at Southern Illinois University

who occasionally talked with McCarron. Ayoub is a leading supporter

of the mercury-causes-autism theory and is trying to dig up evidence

to prove it.

>

> Much of the passion surrounding this issue stems from the fact

that autism can be one of the most difficult disorders to manage.

Though cases range from mild to severe, the toughest ones can be

harrowing for parents, some of whom have to watch their children

constantly for fear they will jump in front of a car, bang their

head against a wall, or lash out at others. Some parents describe

the most extreme cases as being like having a hyperactive 2-year-old

who never grows out of his impulsive, risky behaviors.

>

> Understandably, parents want the mysteries that surround autism to

be settled, to have some answer for why the number of cases has

exploded. Having the medical community discount their beliefs makes

them feel as if all hope of their children improving has been

stripped from them.

>

> " All of us have been told pretty much the same thing, " said

Blakey, an Oak Park mother whose 6-year-old son has

autism. " The doctors all say this is very, very serious and this is

a very debilitating disorder. There is no cure and there are no

treatments. So we're at odds with the medical community now. "

>

> Like other parents who believe in the mercury connection, Blakey

says some acceptance of their theory might lead to better treatment

of their children. She and other parents say that once they began

looking at their children as being poisoned by mercury, their

approach to autism treatment changed and their children began

getting better.

>

> After Blakey found a Chicago-area doctor willing to work with her

son on a controversial treatment called chelation therapy--which

removes mercury and other toxic metals from the body--she saw

dramatic change in her son's behavior. She said a wheat- and dairy-

free diet has also produced positive changes, yet many doctors she

initially consulted were skeptical.

>

> The idea that mercury in childhood vaccines causes autism has

circulated for years, with parents saying their children were

developing normally until they received certain vaccinations.

>

> But the American Medical Association, the Institute of Medicine

and the American Academy of Pediatrics, among others, have concluded

there is no scientific data to support a mercury-autism link,

despite an exhaustive review of cases worldwide. Nonetheless,

mercury has been phased out of most childhood vaccines, although

some parents say the move is too recent to determine what effect it

might have on autism rates.

>

> While recognizing parents' frustrations, some doctors say they

don't engage in mercury-related treatments because they're obligated

to stay away from unproven remedies that could do more harm than

good. Chelation, for instance, could strip the body of essential

minerals as well, said Dr. Leventhal, a University of

Illinois at Chicago psychiatrist, an expert on autism and the

director of an Illinois task force on the disorder.

>

> Furthermore, Leventhal is convinced mercury does not trigger

autism.

>

> " If mercury was the cause, we'd be all over it, " he said. " It

might help shed some light on what areas of the brain are damaged

and it might give us some clues to the genetic susceptibility and

help us find some answers. But unfortunately, it just isn't turning

out to be the case. "

>

> Schreibman, director of the Autism Research Program at the

University of California at San Diego and author of the 2005

book " The Science and Fiction of Autism, " says intense behavioral

therapy is the only proven treatment to improve the effects of

autism.

>

> But she understands why parents are drawn to alternative therapies

designed at drawing out mercury.

>

> " There's a lot of distrust that families have with the scientific

community, " she said. " But it all boils down largely to the fact

that we don't have the answers. I can't tell you what causes autism. "

>

> Meanwhile, parents continue to make their case, reaching out to

lawmakers, government officials and physicians to tell their stories.

>

> Among them is Elmwood Park mom Conrick, who has a 13-year-

old daughter, , with autism.

>

> " I'm 100 percent sure that my daughter's autism is a direct result

of the mercury in her vaccines, " Conrick said. " And when I found all

this out, it was enraging. First you get a diagnosis and [you're

told] there's no hope, then you find out that it was something you

thought would help and you were mandated to do it for school. "

>

> Conrick is a board member of a national group called ACHAMP, or

Advocates for Children's Health Affected by Mercury Poisoning. That

group tries to pressure government agencies to further explore the

mercury connection and to keep vaccines free of mercury,

particularly because they say the flu vaccine--while voluntary--

still contains traces.

>

> Whatever comes of the mercury battle and its aggressive

treatments, it's clear the emotional damage from such a debilitating

disorder continues on a painful path.

>

> JJ Hanley, a Wilmette mother of an autistic child, produced a 2002

documentary called " Refrigerator Mothers, " interviewing dozens of

mothers from that era. It was heartbreaking to hear stories of women

blamed for a disorder even as they struggled daily to manage it, she

said.

>

> Looking at all this information, what do parents of newly

diagnosed children do? Go the safe route and avoid the alternative

treatments? Try intensive behavior therapy, despite the fact that

it's expensive and may not be offered through their school district?

>

> The fact that these decisions must be made quickly, while the

disorder is in its early stages and children's brains are developing

rapidly, adds to the stress.

>

> This is one of the saddest aspects of the struggle to find a cure

for autism. As long as the answers remain a source of debate, the

journey for parents only becomes more difficult.

>

> ----------

>

> mbreslin@...

>

> PublicEditor@..., mbreslin@... CC: " Sam L. Roe "

<sroe@...>, mhawthorne@..., " D. Deardorff " <jdeardorff@...>,

jritter@..., info@..., rep@..., karenmay60@..., garrett@...,

granbergkm@... [input] [input] [input] [input] To the

Editor:

>

> As a participant in the article, " Parents, doctors and the

disputed link between vaccines and autism " (6/25/06), I request that

you correct information that was inaccurate or omitted. The article

states that the flu vaccine contains traces of mercury. This is not

true. The fact is there are mercury/thimerosal-free flu vaccines,

but you need to request them. Many of the flu vaccines still contain

25 micrograms of thimerosal (ethylmercury), and the pediatric

version has 12.5 micrograms, which according to the EPA, a baby

would have to weigh 275 pounds for it to be considered safe. Also,

the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated just last

month that there is a new recommendation for this flu season that

will cover 218 million Americans, or 73% of the population.

>

> In addition, the article does not state that Dr. Leventhal

has a conflict of interest in speaking about autism and thimerosal,

the mercury preservative that is used in flu vaccines. Dr.

Leventhal receives research support from Abbott, Eli Lilly,

GlaxoKline, Shire, Pfizer, and Forrest Laboratories; he is on

the speaker's bureaus of Eli Lilly, GlaxoKline, Pfizer, and

Bristol-Meyers Squibb/Otsuka; and he has consulting relationships

with Abbott, Eli Lilly, Janssen, McNeil, Pfizer, and

GlaxoKline, as reported in the Journal of the American Academy

of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Volume 44- Number 4- April

2005. It is a conflict as Pfizer, Abbot, GlaxoKline, and Eli

Lilly are defendants in over 4,000 lawsuits regarding thimerosal and

autism. As a result, his statements in the article should be

considered biased.

> http://www.bcc-asa.org/Lexapro-Cook.pdf

>

> Sincerely,

>

> Conrick

> Advocates for Children's Health Affected by Mercury Poisoning

>

> To the Editor: