MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'david kirby'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:28:28 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1996397&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F_DHjvzBCogs%2F Earlier this year, reports that the US Federal Court of Claims had conceded that vaccines had contributed to the onset of autistic symptoms in the case of Hannah Poling led to much speculation and debate about (1) if mitochondrial disorders could be linked to autism and (2) how common mitochondrial disorders might be among autistic children. A number of experts on mitonchondrial disorders met in June to discuss the “controversial case” of Hannah Poling. An article in the November 26th PLoS One entitled Mitochondrial Disease in Autism Spectrum Disorder Patients: A Cohort Analysis investigates the medical records of 25 patients with a primary diagnosis of ASD by DSM-IV-TR criteria. These children were later determined to have “enzyme- or mutation-defined mitochondrial electron tran... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1996397 Sat, 29 Nov 2008 07:32:19 +0100 1996397 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1996404&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fl8nvkqF-1Bs%2F Among the books about autism at the public library in our town are this, this, and this—I’ve put in requests for a few other things. To be very honest, we rarely visit our library. While there’s no lack for books of every sort at our house, Charlie’s not a reader. I was interested to read about a program called Project Inclusion, which is described in the November 26th Wausau Daily Herald (Wisconsin): Project Inclusion’s overall goal is for the participating libraries to “take a proactive stance to address the literacy needs of children with disabilities and to make libraries meaningful and welcoming places for these children and their families.” Special emphasis was placed on adding materials especially for and about children on the autism spectru... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1996404 Thu, 27 Nov 2008 18:17:48 +0100 1996404 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1975222&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fe_eg6Yj6d40%2F Back in July, it was reported that the rate of autism in Somali children in Minnapolis was notably high. According to the Minnesota Department of Education: in the Minneapolis’ early childhood and kindergarten programs, more than 12 percent of the students with autism reported speaking Somali at home. According to Minneapolis school officials, more than 17 percent of the children in the district’s early childhood special education autism program are Somali speaking. Almost 6 percent of the district’s total enrollment is made up of Somali-speaking students, and about 6 percent of the children in the district’s overall early childhood and kindergarten special education programs are Somali. Speculation about what could be causing this “cluster” of autism cases in so specif... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1975222 Thu, 20 Nov 2008 17:00:17 +0100 1975222 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1914717&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FGFwipG2UYFU%2F So thimerosal’s not the “‘smoking gun‘” linking vaccines to autism, according to David Kirby, whose 2005 book, Evidence of Harm: Mercury in Vaccines and the Autism Epidemic: A Medical Controversy argued that thimerosal—-a mercury-based preservative—-was the culprit behind what he calls the “autism epidemic.” From an article in today’s Star-Ledger (New Jersey) about an October 23rd forum on infant and child vaccines at the Deirdre Imus Environmental Center for Pediatric Oncology at Hackensack University Medical Center: [Kirby]…..said he believed that thimerosal, which still exists in trace amounts in some childhood vaccines, was no longer the “smoking gun.” Several national studies have found no connection, and a ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1914717 Tue, 28 Oct 2008 23:06:18 +0100 1914717 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1905987&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FoIyTir6r5Rw%2F There’s plenty to debate about regarding autism and the speech about special needs children that Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin is to give today in Pittsburgh —-her first about public policy—-should set off more. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, she’s to deliver the speech this morning at the morning at the Airport Marriott in Pittsburgh before an invited crowd of 350. Update 13:00 EST: Here’s the text of Palin’s speech.Palin talks about “these beautiful children” and these are her three policy proposals: more choices for parents, fully funding IDEA, and efforts to reform and refocus. I just heard about some budget issues in my own school district that have reminded me of the need to fully fund IDEA and Palin’s noting... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1905987 Fri, 24 Oct 2008 15:18:06 +0100 1905987 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1879950&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FRbXr5m2pLdA%2F “For families struggling with autism finding the latest treatments is a top priority,” begins an October 14th WCBStv story about “a controversial approach” that “is making headlines” (which, of course, has nothing to do with the actual efficacy of said approach). The approach is hyperbaric oxygen therapy and the doctor is Dr. James Neubrander, whose website refers to autism as the “treatable untreatable disorder!.” A hyperbaric chamber will set you back $21,000, WCBStv notes. Dr. Neubrander says that HBOT treats “decreases inflammation” and somehow altars the brain chemistry of autistic children and, while there’s no studies to back it up, he says: “No, the studies are not there, but it doesn’t invalidate what we... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1879950 Wed, 15 Oct 2008 18:00:45 +0100 1879950 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1847987&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fl6p7i7M-uFI%2F As the October 1st issue of Scientific American Mind reminds us, words have power. I know this even more whenever I hear my son Charlie speak. He was very, very late to talk and he first didn’t talk at all, but used sign language. Today he speaks in short phrases and sentences, and almost-sentences. A lot of words get thrown around about autism on the Internet, on blogs and newspaper and media websites and who knows where else. Too often, even most often, it seems that the vast percentage of those words are in the realm of misinformation, as the numerous mentions of notions about what causes autism, from power plants in Texas to the quite infamous hypotheses about vaccines and/or mercury. As Dr. Paul Offit noted on his Science Blogs Book Club post today: A couple of bloggers praised ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1847987 Thu, 02 Oct 2008 23:29:28 +0100 1847987 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1834749&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FDK-ZKpnQHXE%2F Over at Salon on his blog sWell blog, physician Rahul K. Parikh deconstructs David Kirby’s September 24th presentation to Congressional staffers. The presentation’s title was “The Vaccine-Autism Debate: New Developments from Science and Policy” and the PowerPoint slides and a write-up are posted on the Age of Autism weblog. Sullivan has been posting about the hearing as Vaccines on the Hill III, Vaccines on the Hill II, and Vaccines on the Hill. Liz at I Speak of Dream noted that this latest attempt to “indoctrinate congressional staffers” by the usual suspects in the anti-vaccine/pro-vaccine safety annals—-Davis Kirby, Mark Blaxill (VP of Safe Minds)—-gets a fail. Dr. Parikh explains why after assessing the claims of each of Kirby’s sl... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1834749 Sun, 28 Sep 2008 00:00:53 +0100 1834749 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1825836&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FIBhIQKxDr1s%2F ‘Tis September and, it seems, the season for autism books: Started off the month with Dr. Paul Offit’s Autism’s False Prophets: Bad Science, Risky Medicine and the Search for a Cure and now here comes Jenny McCarthy’s autism book #2, Mother Warriors: A Nation of Parents Healing Autism Against All Odds , and accompanying appearances on Oprah, video clips, and the like. So there you have it. The Vaccine Doctor and the Autism Mom Heroine. In this script, Jenny and her following of David(a)s are poised, too-good non-toxicness products in their hands, to take on the evil Goliath of the Medical Establishment, Big Pharma, the dreaded CDC. I guess we should look out for flying stilettos (or maybe Crocs; warrior moms have to take their kids to the pool for sensory relief) wh... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1825836 Wed, 24 Sep 2008 02:01:43 +0100 1825836 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1779308&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F9Ap8p0qbpXQ%2F Seems a band called Elbow has won the Nationwide Mercury Prize—-a “staple of UK music accolade-giving since 1992“—-for its album The Seldom Seen Kid. Considering the attention devoted by some “autism activists” (Safe Minds etc.) to the belief that vaccines or something in vaccines, like the mercury-based preservative thimerosal, can be linked to autism, there would indeed be some competition for, I don’t know, “most mad about mercury” and “best talking about detoxing autism.” Jenny McCarthy—now starting up a lifestyle line of non-toxic products—would be a fair contender, as would Evidence of Harm author David Kirby who has again and again “rebranded autism”—-renaming it vaccine-transmitted mercu... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1779308 Wed, 10 Sep 2008 07:35:41 +0100 1779308 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1575496&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F326139909%2F Our very non-sleepy summer continues, on the homefront (Charlie’s good, though he looked a little resigned when told he has no school today and Friday, due to the 4th of July) and on the autism front: Buses that don’t know where they’re going, an autistic boy found walking after the highway—and some good news too. The first two items make me more grateful than ever that Charlie attends summer school in our town, at the middle school he’ll be going to in September, with the same teacher he’ll have, and on a bus provided by the county’s education commission. Every year we’ve considered sending Charlie to camp: It would have to be daycamp the first time (for one thing, I can only stand to worry so much; Charlie not having that much language, he ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1575496 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 22:00:28 +0100 1575496 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1551451&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F321347064%2F No, I was not able to attend David Kirby’s talk at NYU Law School last night. Charlie had speech therapy, went for a 1 hour 45 minute swim in the pool, had his beloved brown noodles (I think he has had noodles on his mind since seeing this movie Tuesday), and took himself to bed just after 9.30pm. And after he had arrayed his shoes, his fleece gloves, my flip flops (given to him but they fit me), and that old beat up green backpack just so. And, the blue fleece items on the blue rocker. It was a good night. Tags: asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, chow fun, david kirby, disabilities blog, disability, Family, family blog, kung fu panda, Movies, new york university, noodles, Parenting, pdd-nos, swimming, VaccinesShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1551451 Fri, 27 Jun 2008 14:06:00 +0100 1551451 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1526330&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F314709790%2F Electrical pollution linked to autism in children? Actually, you already heard of this latest idea about what causes autism here. Tags: asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, brown university, Cause, david kirby, disabilities blog, environment Parenting, Family, family blog, mercury, pdd-nos, pollution, VaccinesShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1526330 Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:54:53 +0100 1526330 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1522225&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F312652186%2F Just as he announced that he would be addressing the House of Lords in the UK earlier this month (an event attended by 1 MP, 4 Lords, and some others), so journalist David Kirby has noted that he will be speaking in June at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island; New York University Law School; and Northeastern University in Boston (he lists the times and dates on the Huffington Post). The event at NYU Law School is hosted by Mary Holland, Esq., who is the Director of the LLM Lawyering Program at NYU Law School, and the event at Northeastern is hosted by  Richard Deth, Ph.D., professor of Pharmeceutical Sciences at Northeastern University. Ms. Holland also blogs about the Autism Omnibus proceedings on the Age of Autism website, and Professor Deth, who has done research on autistic c... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1522225 Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:26:28 +0100 1522225 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1478045&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F300328554%2F It was not unpredicted and it has happened again. David Kirby is again rebranding autism in his latest post about fever, vaccines, and mitochondrial autism. Now it’s “vaccine-induced mitochondrial regression” and even something like “Mute Fever” (a “folksy” name that Kirby comes up with on the side, for reasons noted below). Over a year ago, he rechristened autism as Environmentally-Acquired Neuroimmune Disorder” or “E.N.D.”; more recently, it’s been “vaccine-aggravated mitochondrial disorder” and also “autistic encephalopathy.” Kirby seems to constantly change what he calls autism to suit the latest studies, findings, and documents available about autism, vaccines and (in particular) vaccine-related ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1478045 Thu, 29 May 2008 05:33:26 +0100 1478045 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1469760&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F298504380%2F To read an article about the MMR vaccine and autism in today’s Telegraph, you’d think there was plenty of reason for the “debate” to be “reignited” thanks to Senator John McCain talking about an “autism epidemic”; recent statements about US health officials being too quick to dismiss arguments about vaccine as a cause of autism by Dr. Bernardine Healy; the case of Hannah Poling, in which the government conceded that vaccines “aggravated” an underlying mitochondrial disorder in Hannah and led to symptoms of autism; and a recent poster presentation at IMFAR about a study in which 13 vaccinated monkeys showed “increased aggression, impaired cognitive skills and developmental delay” after receiving vaccines. Here’s... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1469760 Mon, 26 May 2008 17:09:48 +0100 1469760 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1466119&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F296763143%2F It seems that journalist David Kirby, who writes regularly about vaccines/mercury/something environmental as the cause of autism, will be at a special briefing at the Houses of Parliament on June 4. That’s the very same day as the Green Our Vaccines rally, which is sponsored by Talk About Curing Autism (TACA), Generation Rescue, HEAL Foundation - Healing Every Autistic Life and Moms Against Mercury. The rally’s to be held in Washington, DC: Looks like June 4th (which is the birthday of Socrates, Aesop, and the first Ford) is going to be “do vaccines cause autism?” sort of day on both sides of the Atlantic. (More raised eyebrows here.) Tags: asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, david kirby, mercury, mitochondrial disease, Parenting, pdd-nos, vaccine blog, vaccine cour... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1466119 Fri, 23 May 2008 18:54:13 +0100 1466119 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1436945&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F288478385%2F There’s been plenty of debate about whether or not there is an epidemic of autism; about whether or not the increase in the prevalence rate of autism (now 1 in 150) is due to our being better able to diagnose and count cases of autism, or whether there is some actual something that can be pointed to that is actually causing more children to become autistic. Recently, I’ve noted mention of an “autism pandemic,” a term which strikes me as a not exactly subtle attempt to make the rise in the prevalence rate of autism seem to be a much more extreme, and scary, phenomenon than various autism organizations claim that it is. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, the definition of an epidemic is disease outbreak in which some or many people in a comm... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1436945 Mon, 12 May 2008 05:51:11 +0100 1436945 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1411789&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F281241171%2F On April 11th, a new document in the case of Hannah Poling was filed. The document—Order Deferring Ruling on Petitioners’ Motion for Complete Transparency of Proceedings—-can be read here. The petitioners are Terry Poling and Jon Poling, the parents of “Hannah Poling, a minor.” The respondent is the Secretary of Health and Human Services. The Polings have requested that two Rule 4 Reports filed by the respondent be disclosed. (A Rule 4 Report is filed by respondent in a vaccine proceeding and incorporates medical information pertaining to the petitioner.) One report states that Hannah’s seizure disorder was “not related to her vaccinations”; the second states that this was the case and that she qualifies for compensation. In late February-ear... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1411789 Thu, 01 May 2008 04:31:26 +0100 1411789 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1402990&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F279152444%2F In the past several months, more and more scientific studies have added evidence that disputes a link between thimerosal and rising autism rates, and that link autism to mercury. Concurrently, a number of studies offer further evidence about genetic of factors and autism. Also at the same time, proponents of the view that some external, environmental factor can be linked to what is called “regressive autism” have been on a steady campaign to redefine and “rebrand” autism. Journalist David Kirby, whose 2005 book Evidence of Harm is subtitled “Mercury in Vaccines and the Autism Epidemic: A Medical Controversy,” has been offering a number of new monikers for autism, including “Environmentally-acquired Neuroimmune Disorder” (”E.N.D.”)... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1402990 Mon, 28 Apr 2008 05:01:35 +0100 1402990 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1392540&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F275891063%2F According to an April 22nd Scientific American piece about the case of Hannah Poling—the 9-year-old Georgia girl whose “pre-existing mitochondrial disorder…. was ‘aggravated’ by her shots” according to a concession by the federal government and who was awarded a settlement: “….. scientifically, from the documents presented in the vaccine court, the Polings did not make a case that deserved compensation.” Here’s why their case did not deserve compensation, as noted by Nikhil Swaminathan in Scientific American: Hannah’s disorder is likely due to a rare mutation in her DNA. Most of the DNA responsible for mitochondria is inherited from mothers, because mitochondrial genes are carried in the egg but not sperm. Salvatore DiMauro, a mitochondria ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1392540 Wed, 23 Apr 2008 04:30:55 +0100 1392540 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1352748&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F264639472%2F The latest post about a hypothetical vaccine-autism link by journalist David Kirby argues that the CDC has “lost control of the autism argument.” Kirby suggests that the CDC—a government agency—is “out of touch” with the real concerns of “anxious and alarmed” Americans who are worrying about their children receiving “5 or more vaccines in one sitting.” (Note that Kirby, who has written plenty about the dangers of thimerosal, the mercury-based preservative that used to be in vaccines, has now shifted his concern to how many vaccines children receive at one time.) Kirby describes some “nasty emails” that some few pediatricians have sent him; these doctors are (says Kirby) up in arms as, thanks to the repeated reports in ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1352748 Sat, 05 Apr 2008 18:47:05 +0100 1352748 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1344333&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F262288303%2F “Environmentally-acquired Neuroimmune Disorder” or “E.N.D.”: That was a new term that journalist David Kirby suggested that should be used for autistic children with numerous gastrointestinal problems, over a year ago. More recently—in writing about the case of Hannah Poling—Kirby has suggested that some type of “vaccine aggravated mitochondrial disorder” is “mimicking” autism. And then there’s the autism organizations such as Safe Minds and Generation Rescue who would suggest that autism is “mercury poisoning” or a “mercury-induced neurological disorder.” And now today in the Huffington Post, Kirby uses the term “autistic encephalopathy” to describe what Hannah Poling has. Orac at Respectful Insolence has referred t... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1344333 Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:00:32 +0100 1344333 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1336665&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35098&url=http%3A%2F%2Fclub166.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F03%2Fevidence-of-idiocy.html As if she hasn't done enough damage, I ran across this on another list that I am on:FOR WORLD AUTISM DAY: APRIL 2 – Jenny McCarthy & David Kirby for a fullhour on LARRY KING LIVEWednesday, April 2On World Autism Day, the controversy over vaccines! Do they contributeto autism, or is there a greater risk going without? Actress and motherof an autistic child, Jenny McCarthy, debates the issue with medicalprofessionals.Now Larry King doesn't strike me as being very balanced on this (he has had Jenny on several times regarding autism). But the one good question he did ask recently was regarding adult autistics, to which Jenny responded that she'd never met any. Since King is basically a celebrity junkie and not a journalist I guess I can't blame him for going with B grade celebrities that wil... Club 166 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1336665 Sun, 30 Mar 2008 05:03:00 +0100 1336665 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1332543&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35109&url=http%3A%2F%2Fleftbrainrightbrain.co.uk%2F%3Fp%3D757 Over on the Huffington Post, David Kirby has posted about The Next Big Autism Bomb. Its a very long post so take a sammich. The gist (with apologies to Mr Kirby) of it is that there was a conference call to discuss the autism/mito issues: On Tuesday, March 11, a conference call was held between vaccine safety officials at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, several leading experts in vaccine safety research, and executives from America’s Health Insurance Plans, (the HMO trade association) to discuss childhood mitochondrial dysfunction and its potential link to autism and vaccines. The purpose of the call was: “We need to find out if there is credible evidence, theoretically, to support the idea that childhood mitochondrial dysfunction might regress into a... Left Brain/Right Brain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1332543 Fri, 28 Mar 2008 12:07:06 +0100 1332543 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1327536&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35109&url=http%3A%2F%2Fleftbrainrightbrain.co.uk%2F%3Fp%3D755 I read with interest Dr Schuchat’s opinion piece in the AJC today. Whilst it is gratifying to see someone of Dr Schuchat’s calibre responding to previous claims regarding vaccines in autism I would like to make a few points to Dr Schuchat and the CDC in general. Firstly, this level of response is around eight years too late. What have you been doing on the media/PR front over the last eight years? I’ll tell you what your ‘opponents’ have been doing – they’ve been conducting protests outside your offices, outside the offices of the AAP etc. They’ve been setting up and organising vaccine/autism groups and heavily marketing them via the use of organic and paid for web based advertising. The only people who have made any kind of attempt to ... Left Brain/Right Brain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1327536 Wed, 26 Mar 2008 09:41:52 +0100 1327536 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1321801&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35109&url=http%3A%2F%2Fleftbrainrightbrain.co.uk%2F%3Fp%3D753 As I’ve pointed out, Kirby has messed up his maths on the Huffington post blog. He’s now done much the same in an Atlanta Journal-Constitution article (clearly, their Editor does not check for mathematical errors, or general stupid). Kirby’s article is titled “Give us answers on vaccines”: I don’t expect any answers from Kirby, but correct sums would be a start. Kirby argues that: Most striking is how typical Hannah’s cellular dysfunction [mitochondrial disorder] may be among children with autism. While extremely rare in the general population, at two per 10,000 people, it seems unusually common in autism — with estimates up to 2,000 per 10,000. To go over these figures again – a 2,000 per 10,000 incidence of mitochondrial disorder am... Left Brain/Right Brain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1321801 Sun, 23 Mar 2008 01:33:20 +0100 1321801 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1315401&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F254711125%2F This is my position on the vaccine-autism issue, as written in Newsweek: Chew believes that vaccines had nothing to do with her son’s condition and she worries that all the vaccine attention detracts from the more-urgent needs of people with autism, who require intensive behavioral interventions and social services—the kind of help her son has received. That’s what I believe. For further proof about how concerns (to understate the matter) about a link between vaccines or something in vaccines and autism continue to receive too much attention in the public eye, see David Kirby’s op-ed today in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in which he calls on the government, “leading health officials,” the CDC—the usual suspects in Kirby’s book—to &#8220... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1315401 Thu, 20 Mar 2008 05:16:40 +0100 1315401 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1303318&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35109&url=http%3A%2F%2Fleftbrainrightbrain.co.uk%2F%3Fp%3D748 In sum, DVIC has concluded that the facts of this case meet the statutory criteria for demonstrating that the vaccinations CHILD received on July 19, 2000, significantly aggravated an underlying mitochondrial disorder, which predisposed her to deficits in cellular energy metabolism, and manifested as a regressive encephalopathy with features of autism spectrum disorder. – HHS If one has the right set of “features” of autism, one has autism…...Hannah Poling has autism—as defined in every book, in every library, in every university in the world. Dr. Parikh’s insistence otherwise is perplexing. – David Kirby, to EoH group in response to Dr. Parikh’s article in Salon. Its a massively ambiguous point. Do ‘features of autism’ equa... Left Brain/Right Brain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1303318 Fri, 14 Mar 2008 10:48:36 +0100 1303318 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1292296&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F249328581%2F Since last week—last Thursday to be precise, when the parents of Hannah Poling Dr. Jon Poling and Terry Poling, held a news conference with their lawyer, Cliff Shoemaker, close by—the autism community has been discussing and debating just what the government said in its concession and what it did not. A recent post by Kev at Left Brain/Right Brain looks carefully at the laws and regulations for the vaccine court, as does Sullivan at Grey Matter/White Matter. Orac over at Respectful Insolence provides some of the background to the antivaccination movement and autism, the vaccine court, and the latest efforts by the “mercury militia” to “rebrand autism“: In previous years, there have been attempts to make the term “mercury poisoning” synonymous... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1292296 Tue, 11 Mar 2008 06:30:51 +0100 1292296 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1292298&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35109&url=http%3A%2F%2Fleftbrainrightbrain.co.uk%2F%3Fp%3D745 The person answering the questions below is someone very familiar with the Vaccine Courts. I agreed to respect their privacy by not naming them but for ease of reference I’ll refer to them as Legal Larry. David Kirby says: In this case, HHS agreed to pay out compensation and there was no need to go to a hearing. The Polings could not reject the compensation agreement and insist on a hearing if they wanted to. This was supposed to be a test case. But the government did not want this to go to a hearing, not the Polings. But the family had no choice. Someone please correct me if I am wrong, but when you apply for VICP compensation, and you receive it, it’s pretty much take-it-or-leave-it at that point, very much unlike a regular civil lawsuit that might get a settlement &#8220... Left Brain/Right Brain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1292298 Mon, 10 Mar 2008 23:45:59 +0100 1292298 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1289787&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F248689661%2F Do you always notice if there’s someone autistic in the room? A few years ago, I would have answered “of course, yes, I can spot an autistic child a mile away” and many people I knew swore the same. More recently, I have become less and less sure. Certainly I do note young children who have a certain fixed and repetitive pattern of speech, or other repetitive motions. Certainly we’ve encountered children in a state of “high tantrum mode” but that hardly qualifies them as autistic, for sure (though tantrums in public are something that many the parent of an autistic child has noted happening on trips to stores, restaurants, etc.). But how do you know that an adult on the spectrum isn’t sitting across from you on the subway? We rode the PATH train i... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1289787 Mon, 10 Mar 2008 05:41:41 +0100 1289787 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1289788&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F248528046%2F “It wasn’t like a switch being turned off….It was more like a dimmer switch being turned down.” I’ve read this quote from Dr. Jon Poling, the father of Hannah Poling, in more than a few news stories and most recently in one today in the Philadelphia Inquirer. Dr. Poling uses the metaphor of a dimmer switch to describe how his daughter changed after receiving five vaccines at the age of 18 months: Almost immediately after, she was screaming, feverish and irritable. Then her behavior gradually changed so she would stare at fans and lights and run in circles. Dr. Poling’s choice of metaphor—-that the change in Hannah was gradual, like a “dimmer switch,” rather than sudden, as when a light is turned off and a room goes dark—is somewha... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1289788 Sun, 09 Mar 2008 22:00:07 +0100 1289788 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1289120&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F248166219%2F If you can remember back to before Thursday when Hannah Poling’s parents had their news conference and before every other autism news headline seemed to blare (not entirely accurately) “Government concedes vaccines linked to girl’s autism,” a few other things were being talked about this week: Senator John McCain’s misguided statements about “evidence” linking vaccines to autism, a study about hyperserotonemia and autism that some of us are still trying to figure out, another well-known person–golfer Ernie Els—-announcing that he has an autistic child. Having spent most of the week sick and coughing, I’m glad to be able to talk again. The Verdict on McCain on Thimerosal and Autism Members of the autism community, scientists, and... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1289120 Sun, 09 Mar 2008 03:33:33 +0100 1289120 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1286284&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F247495365%2F In the wake of the concession by the government in the case of a 9 year old girl whose underlying, rare mitochondrial disorder was “aggravated” by vaccines, CBS News has reposted an article that was originally published last June, Autism: Why The Debate Rages by investigative correspondent Sharyl Attkisson. Attkinson offers seven reasons as to why—-as scientific evidence refuting a vaccine-autism link continues to increase—”anyone [is] even still debating the possibility of a link between vaccines and autism.” In particular, she notes that, while government officials and agencies (such as the CDC), mainstream scientists, and non-profits who dispel any vaccine/autism link, may not have direct ties with pharmaceutical companies who manufacture vaccines, th... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1286284 Fri, 07 Mar 2008 19:33:21 +0100 1286284 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1286287&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35109&url=http%3A%2F%2Fleftbrainrightbrain.co.uk%2F%3Fp%3D744 This study shows that “several metabolic defects have been associated with autistic symptoms with a rate higher than that found in the general population.” This essentially argues the opposite of what Kirby states. There are more autistic symptoms seen in some people with metabolic disorders than compared to the rest of the population. If I have Group A (General Population) and Group B (persons with metabolic disorders), according to this study, Group B will have more more people with autistic symptoms. This does not say that within a group of autistic individuals, metabolic disorders are most prevalent. Also, the study says “autistic symptoms” which is not the same as autism. Children with gastrointestinal dysfunction, seizures, etc. associated with a metabolic dis... Left Brain/Right Brain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1286287 Fri, 07 Mar 2008 09:51:08 +0100 1286287 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1284796&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F247108704%2F Be wary of the headlines. (And please read this reader’s description of the actual front page of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.) The government has not conceded that vaccines cause autism “even after a Georgia girl won federal compensation in a case arguing a vaccine led to her brain damage”: Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, states that “‘Let me be very clear that (the) government has made absolutely no statement about indicating that vaccines are a cause of autism…….That is a complete mischaracterization of the findings of the case, and a complete mischaracterization of any of the science that we have at our disposal today. So I think we need to set the record straight on that.’”... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1284796 Fri, 07 Mar 2008 02:53:29 +0100 1284796 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1283513&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35109&url=http%3A%2F%2Fleftbrainrightbrain.co.uk%2F%3Fp%3D742 Kirby’s crowing about a recent US government concession in a vaccine damage court case has got a fair bit of attention, and has been well-covered by several blogs – for a general appraisal, I’d start with posts on LBRB and Respectful Insolence, if you haven’t already. I was interested to see, though, that Kirby manages to get his basic maths wrong on the Huffington Post – meaning that his claims about autism, mitochondrial disorder and vaccine damage are left looking entirely ridiculous. Stephen Novella argues that “Among stiff competition, this is perhaps the most absurd and scientifically ignorant thing Kirby has every written.” It might be the most absurdly mathematically and statistically ignorant thing that Kirby has ever written, too. For K... Left Brain/Right Brain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1283513 Thu, 06 Mar 2008 12:10:07 +0100 1283513 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1282252&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F246600960%2F Hannah Poling is the name of the 9-year-old autistic child whose “pre-existing mitochondrial disorder…. was ‘aggravated’ by her shots,” as was conceded last week by the government in the Court of Federal Claims. Today’s Atlanta Journal-Constitution profiles her and her parents, neurologist Jon Poling and Terry Poling, a lawyer and nurse, note that the court decision “will help pay for the numerous therapists and other medical experts their autistic child needs — now and for the rest of her life.” More about Hannah’s story: The Georgia girl’s case – and its implications in the vaccine-autism debate – raise more questions than it answers, experts say. Some medical experts say it’s difficult to fully assess the case because the federal vacci... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1282252 Thu, 06 Mar 2008 07:19:55 +0100 1282252 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1282253&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F246443931%2F A news conference will held tomorrow about the 9 year old child whose “pre-existing mitochondrial disorder…. was ‘aggravated’ by her shots” as conceded last week by the government in the Court of Federal Claims. The lawyer for the girl’s family arranged the news conference, according to WSBTV, which carefully states that her “rare” condition was affected by the shots, and that this led to her having “autism-like symptoms”: overnment health officials have conceded that childhood vaccines worsened a rare, underlying disorder that ultimately led to autism-like symptoms in a Georgia girl. The officials recommend that she should be paid from a federal vaccine-injury fund. Medical and legal experts say the narrow wording and circumstances proba... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1282253 Thu, 06 Mar 2008 00:37:34 +0100 1282253 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1280788&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35109&url=http%3A%2F%2Fleftbrainrightbrain.co.uk%2F%3Fp%3D741 As noted by Catherina in a previous thread, David Kirby went on US morning show Imus to talk about autism, vaccines and the recent so called ‘concession report’. Here’s the snippet Catherina highlighted: IMUS: Why haven’t we read about that in the NY Times or seen it on NBC nightly news? DAVID: Well, the NY Times is not particularly interested in this story. There are reporters out there this week trying to cover it, but, until the family gets permission from government to speak, I’m not sure how much coverage it actually is going to get. You know, I love being on your show, but, I wish instead of me being here this morning, you have somebody from the HHS. Because what we basically have over there is a wall of silence. *Why is it not okay to talk about ... Left Brain/Right Brain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1280788 Wed, 05 Mar 2008 19:00:08 +0100 1280788 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1277925&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35109&url=http%3A%2F%2Fleftbrainrightbrain.co.uk%2F%3Fp%3D740 David Kirby makes a juicy statement on EoH: And next week, I just might drop another bombshell – A BIG one, from another case in VICP. Turns out that people who settled with the government now want their cases to be known as well. They are seeking me out. You would be AMAZED at what the government has secretly admitted. Now, granted, its apparent from Kirby’s wording that these extra cases are not part of the Omnibus and possibly not related to autism at all. But something is beginning to worry me quite a lot about this. When I approached Dr Zimmerman about him answering some questions re: the recent so-called ‘concession report’, I was told: Dr. Zimmerman…....is not able to publicly discuss this patient. As a participant in this case, the family pro... Left Brain/Right Brain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1277925 Tue, 04 Mar 2008 09:24:52 +0100 1277925 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1269622&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35109&url=http%3A%2F%2Fleftbrainrightbrain.co.uk%2F%3Fp%3D735 We describe a female patient in whom developmental regression and autism followed normal development…..Evaluation at 23 months showed …..[t]he Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) score was 33 (mild autism range), and she also met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders-IV criteria for autism and yet this autism was so mild that at that exact same period (23 months): the patient began speaking again at 23 months old which means that expressive language was lost for a sum total of one month (it is reported being lost at 22 months). It should also be noted that CARS is not designed for diagnosis but is an indicator only. Overall, we get a picture of a child who had an underlying mitochondrial dysfunction exposed by the illnesses following her vaccinations whi... Left Brain/Right Brain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1269622 Sat, 01 Mar 2008 08:57:19 +0100 1269622 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1258238&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F241394398%2F Life with Charlie means that every day is full of lots of questions: Will he have a good day at school today? Will he be okay with one of my students babysitting him? What would he do—what will he someday do—without Jim and me? These days I generally have answers for the first two questions: Charlie likes the school program he is in, is learning and likes his teachers and classmates. After not wanting to get out of my car to meet the student babysitter, he spent a pleasant hour with her last Thursday. In the usuals of our life with autism every day, we’ve a sense of what might happen, and of how to help Charlie do his best. But the third question—the life that Charlie will lead without Jim and me to help him, guide him, protect him, love him—there are no certa... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1258238 Tue, 26 Feb 2008 09:51:08 +0100 1258238 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1256293&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35109&url=http%3A%2F%2Fleftbrainrightbrain.co.uk%2F%3Fp%3D731 As per this story from David Kirby in the HuffPo. I have some doubts about it but lets see. I’ve emailed David Kirby to ask him to provide me with a full copy of the concession. His willingness to provide this information as well as the information itself should tell us more about what this concession report contains. (Source: Left Brain/Right Brain) Left Brain/Right Brain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1256293 Tue, 26 Feb 2008 09:18:44 +0100 1256293 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1161052&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F218995013%2F Journalist David Kirby, author of Evidence of Harm: Mercury in Vaccines and the Autism Epidemic: A Medical Controversy, says this in an interview with the News-Times of Connecticut: “People don’t treat autism as the catastrophe it is. I’ve never seen such complacency in a health crisis, especially (one) in children……If one in 150 kids (the current autism rate) were getting cancer or going blind or dropping dead on the street, you can bet we’d be mobilizing every resource we had.” Why treat something—autism—as a catastrophe when it is not? Sure, like many/all families with autistic children, we have some really difficult moments (days, weeks……). My son Charlie does seem to have what is called “catastrophic thinking,&... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1161052 Fri, 18 Jan 2008 18:17:06 +0100 1161052 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=918946&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35109&url=http%3A%2F%2Fleftbrainrightbrain.co.uk%2F%3Fp%3D669 This study did not look at autism (a study that will be published next year looks, again, at vaccines and autism), but the mercury-causes-autism crowd are still unhappy with the results. I have been following this issue closely for several years. Although my awareness of the issue goes back much farther, I started to seriously research the claim that the MMR vaccine, or that thimerosal in other vaccines, causes autism while researching an article on the topic for the New Haven Advocate. As a physician (a neurologist) and a skeptical activist I knew I had to get this issue right. I certainly did not want to falsely stoke the flames of public fear, nor did I want to cast myself in the role of denier. Early on in my research I really did not know which way I was going to go with the issue... Left Brain/Right Brain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=918946 Sat, 29 Sep 2007 18:57:33 +0100 918946 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=888624&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35109&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinleitch.co.uk%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D634 Well, it’s September—nearly time for the California DDS to put out the latest quarterly reports.  That means it’s nearly Kirby “spin the numbers” season.  What spin, you may ask?  Last time, David Kirby  announced that the numbers may be going down.  At the same time, Rick Rollens noted that they were going up.  Even though they were proposing  exactly opposite interpretations, both were claiming it as evidence of an epidemic.  Even though Kirby’s post was last July, some of his comments still stick in my mind.  Why?  In his reach for crutches to support the fake epidemic, he has started pointing fingers at immigrants.  “Legal and illegal immigration continues to rise from countries that s... Left Brain/Right Brain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=888624 Fri, 21 Sep 2007 00:18:02 +0100 888624 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=734518&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35109&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinleitch.co.uk%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D587 Every god-damn quarter, without fail. Every single one. The CDDS data gets released – Rick Rollens releases his usual ‘full syndrome’ crapola and tells us how autism is still skyrocketing and does his best Chicken Little impression and David Kirby chews at the edges of the data to try and find something that will support the idea that thiomersal plays any kind of role in autism. Its getting really, really old. Please let me say it to you one more time. CDDS is not good source data for epidemiology. They say so themselves. When CDDS refer to ‘full syndrome autism’ they are not, repeat, not referring to classical autism. See this form here? CDDS use it to record autism. It was designed in the 1970’s. The version in use today was last updated in 198... Left Brain/Right Brain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=734518 Sat, 14 Jul 2007 09:03:05 +0100 734518 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=716641&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35109&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinleitch.co.uk%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D575 Suspicions have been circling for a long time that there was more than just coincidence to the timing of writing and publication of Kirby’s Evidence of Harm. Those suspicions were enhanced for me when it became clear that a lot of Kirby’s associations with certain autism/anti-vaccine groups such as the National Autism Association were on a financial footing. The ‘official’ story regarding the writing of Evidence of Harm, as reported by Kirby himself, was that Kirby was casting about for something to write about of book length and had been approached by several autism parents who wanted to share their beliefs that vaccines had made their kids autistic. According to Kirby, he was skeptical and unsure about whether to proceed with it or not. What made up his mind app... Left Brain/Right Brain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=716641 Thu, 05 Jul 2007 08:59:03 +0100 716641 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=706597&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35109&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinleitch.co.uk%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D573 The first of the nine ‘test’ Autism Omnibus cases has wrapped up. This was also the first of the designated three that will attempt to associate autism with MMR and Thiomersal causation. In todays’ Wall Street Journal, Professor Roy Richard Grinker, author of Unstrange Minds wraps up what we’ve seen over the last couple of weeks: Over the last three weeks, I listened to testimony in the first of nine test cases in the U.S. Vaccine Court (Cedillo v. Health and Human Services) considering the question of whether a mercury-based vaccine preservative called thimerosal (which used to be in many vaccines), or the MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) vaccine, or both together, caused autism in Michelle Cedillo, the plaintiffs’ daughter. I heard some of the world&#821... Left Brain/Right Brain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=706597 Sat, 30 Jun 2007 08:24:13 +0100 706597 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=676214&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35109&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinleitch.co.uk%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D561 And so, as we approach the end of week one of the vaccine trial, its been truly fascinating to read (albeit a day behind my US counterparts) the ongoing proceedings. One of the things that fascinated me was the culling of the ‘expert witness’ list. Before Monday – the start of the trial – the expert list comprised: Jim Adams PhD Harland Austin D. Sc. David S Baskin MD Jeffrey Bradstreet M.D. Richard Carlton Deth PhD Mark Geier MD M. Eric Gershwin MD Phillippe Grandjean, Ph.D. Sander Greenland, Dr. PH Boyd E. Hayley, Ph D Robert Hirsch PhD Arthur Krigsman MD Cathy A Lally, Master P.H. Mary Megson, MD Elizabeth Mumper MD Andrew J. Wakefield, MB, BS, FRCS, FRCPath And on Monday, the people left from this list were: Arthur Krigsman MD. Amazing. I can only surm... Left Brain/Right Brain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=676214 Thu, 14 Jun 2007 15:06:31 +0100 676214 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=645221&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35109&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinleitch.co.uk%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D550 Opinions vary as to why I, and many of my online friends believe what we do. The answers cannot be easily encapsulated but an indication is given by the source of the two links I’ve just linked to. The first group believe autism is not just a disability, that it is both more and less than that and that whatever the aetiology of ‘it’ is, it is likely to not have a single cause and further, if it does or if it doesn’t, the fact that people are autistic is a state of being (a property of their personhood) that is deserving of respect and tolerance. After all, if we can tolerate difference between sexes enough to think of a toilet seat that raises or lowers as a natural aspect of functional life then we really should be able to make the minor adjustments necessary to ... Left Brain/Right Brain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=645221 Tue, 29 May 2007 09:14:05 +0100 645221 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=588474&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35109&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinleitch.co.uk%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D542 As already blogged by Steve and Orac, Generation Rescue have undergone a change in both website and message. Up until this week and for the last two years, Brad Handley – GR Head Honcho (and Stanford Rugby Treasurer) has promoted a message quite unequivocal: “Autism is treatable. It’s reversible. It’s nothing more than mercury poisoning,” said JB Handley, founder of Generation Rescue. In fact, giving a reason for the redesign of the site on Orac’s blog, Brad said: From my perspective, our website and its message have always been broader than “its ONLY mercury”... Huh. Weird. Maybe its just me but I detect a teensy-weensy inconsistency between those two statements. Lets switch to the video!!: And for the non-video-blessed a... Left Brain/Right Brain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=588474 Thu, 03 May 2007 23:42:46 +0100 588474 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=559968&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35109&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinleitch.co.uk%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D535 Don’t Stand So Close To Me I recently had an email conversation with someone who is married to a lapsed Mennonite and who’s secretary is a lapsed Amish. As this was too good an opportunity to miss I asked xyr about autism amongst the Amish and vaccinations. I was interested in Dan Olmsted’s idea that he and his sources waltz around Amish communities, grabbing people and asking ‘got any autism in the family’? and calling this reporting. When we talked about this xyr answer was fascinating: As for tracking autistics, forget about it. Families are not likely going to seek diagnosis unless there are seizures or some other acute issue. Imagine driving up to a bunch of Amish farms and asking, “Are any of your kids autistic?” I would guess they prob... Left Brain/Right Brain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=559968 Sun, 22 Apr 2007 07:36:01 +0100 559968 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=508593&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35109&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinleitch.co.uk%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D522 For the last few weeks the subject of ire on the EoH maillist has been Autism Speaks, they’ve been the subject of some very nasty descriptions indeed. The reason is that the EoHers knew that Katie Wright, daughter of the owners of Autism Speaks, was taking her son Christian to a DAN! doctor and yet Autism Speaks were keeping this quiet. Well, as blogged by David Kirby, Katie Wright has now confirmed that Christian is seeing a DAN! doctor (lets hope its not one of the paedophiles or Scientologists) and has gone ‘on the record’ as stating she believes vaccines caused Christians autism. The mercury militia and David Kirby report this: Many in the upper echelons of Autism Speaks have rejected any environmental hypothesis and insisted that autism is purely a genetic diso... Left Brain/Right Brain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=508593 Thu, 29 Mar 2007 10:26:58 +0100 508593 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=486979&cid=t_105153_133_f&fid=35081&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmikestanton.wordpress.com%2F2007%2F01%2F21%2Fvaccines-and-autism-a-thoughtful-debate-1%2F This study confined itself to children with learning dificulties in special schools and never looked at children in mainstream classes where most autistic children are found today. Kirby’s Fact 3. By 2000 autism prevalence in the USA was 40 in 10,000 Again there is no citation. And autism prevalence in whom? What is the age cohort? Kirby’s Fact 4. By 2004 autism prevalence in the USA was 60 in 10,000 We do have a lot of epidemiology for this figure.It is supported by the Medical Research Council in the UK and the Centers for Disease Control in the USA. But it is usually taken to mean that we have now reached a reasonably accurate estimate of prevalence figures for the entire autistic spectrum across the entire population. Kirby sems to be using these figures to suggest a year ... Action For Autism blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=486979 Sun, 21 Jan 2007 23:46:51 +0100 486979