HuffPo: BREAKING NEWS: Autism May Be Caused By Chemical Exposures - CDC

[Guest guest]

BREAKING NEWS: Autism May Be Caused By " Chemical

Exposures " - CDC

By DAVID KIRBY

For years now, scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and elsewhere have

said that autism is probably a purely genetic disorder, and that the dramatic

increase in numbers was due to better diagnostics, wider reporting and greater

awareness - and not because of any environmental factors.

Those days are over now.

Today, I received an email from an official in the Office

of CDC Director Dr. Gerberding (rumored to be on her way out in January),

" Office of Enterprise Communication, " replying to my questions on

what the agency is doing to look into the reportedly high number (1 in 28) of

Somali in Minneapolis.

The responses I got from the CDC (and the Minnesota

Department of Health) were thorough, thoughtful, and quite lengthy. They will

be published in their entirety shortly at www.ageofautism.com.

But one of the last questions answered by the CDC really

stuck out.

I cannot recall anything quite like it from any Federal agency

when asked a question about the possible causes of autism.

Instead of the usual, tired, " it's just better

diagnostics " mantra one routinely gets from most public health authorities

(and prominent author-pediatricians), this particular person at the CDC chose

to tell the refreshing truth - and it is something that I have been saying for

quite some time, myself.

Here is the question I posed to CDC:

If it is determined that Somali

children in Minnesota do in fact have higher rates of autism than non-Somali

children in Minnesota, and that they also have higher rates than Somali

children in Somalia, will CDC officially concur that autism, at least in these

cases, must necessarily have an environmental component?

And here is part of the reply:

While it is important to

understand if autism is affecting any group of children disproportionately, it

is also important to keep in mind that there are likely multiple causes of the

autism spectrum of disorders. Most scientists agree that today's research will

show that a person's genetic profile may make them more or less susceptible to

ASDs as a result of any number of factors such as infections, the physical

environment, chemical exposures, or psychosocial components.

The idea that " chemical exposures " (vaccine induced

or otherwise) might cause autism still brings virtual apoplexia to certain

scientific circles. Let's hope they all take a deep breath and consider the

CDC's wisdom.

Thank you, Centers for Disease Control.

Thank you for your candor, your courage, and your ability

to admit that there is no such thing as a genetic epidemic.