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 'in the media'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:54:28 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118644&cid=t_207441_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-nih-to-hold-a-course-on-medicine-in-the-media%2F2011.08.11 The NIH is doing it’s best to get science writers on the right track when it comes to responsible health reporting by holding an annual course on Medicine in the Media. The National Institutes of Health’s Office of Medical Applications of Research (OMAR) presents a free annual training opportunity to help develop journalists’ and editors’ ability to evaluate and report on medical research. The course curriculum builds on the best of prior years’ offerings to create an intensive learning experience with hands-on application. When I read about the course on Gary Schwitzer’s tweet stream, I got really excited and started scouring the NIH course site to listen to some of the fabulous speakers in the 2011 course, which just finished in July. I was disappointed to discover (more&#823... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118644 Thu, 11 Aug 2011 12:00:30 +0100 5118644 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4337862&cid=t_207441_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2F5oyoBrV7OiQ%2Fmischaracterizations-popular-media-medical-conditions.html by Joyce GraffMedical dramas can play powerful roles in increasing awareness of rare diseases, but it’s critical that the diseases are portrayed accurately. Mischaracterizations by the popular media of medical conditions, particularly rare ones, can be very demeaning to people afflicted with those conditions, and can affect how people look at them in the workplace or at school.The TV show, Grey’s Anatomy recently broadcast the first of three episodes portraying a patient with von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) who has been diagnosed with a “dangerous adrenal tumor,” a pheochromocytoma, or “pheo.” So far, the script is looking good.  Several other medical shows have included VHL in story lines, but their depiction of VHL has in most cases been quite a stretch. As an activist for ... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4337862 Wed, 12 Jan 2011 12:00:36 +0100 4337862 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4219682&cid=t_207441_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FKevinMd-MedicalWeblog%2F%7E3%2FeUOiM6YQEcE%2Fconspiracies-vaccines-blame-media.html by Jennifer Gunter, MDHow did the idea that vaccines are dangerous, toxin-filled CDC experiments metastasize so quickly from the fringe to the mainstream?Keep in mind that not only have vaccines been scientifically proven to be safe, but that some of the arguments against vaccines are so scientifically incredulous they are the equivalent of saying there is a UFO sitting in Central Park right now.(...)Read the rest of Conspiracies against vaccines: Blame the media16 comments | Tags: Drugs, Media | Category: Health in the media (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4219682 Wed, 01 Dec 2010 18:00:06 +0100 4219682 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3965349&cid=t_207441_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F09%2Ftalk-doctor-hearing-advice-radio.html by Adam LinkerA doctor at Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center recently advised that I submit to genetic testing without ever having met me. It turns out I may harbor a gene that increases my risk of developing prostate cancer.This unsolicited advice was delivered via National Public Radio after a story on the JAMA study of preventive breast and ovarian surgery in women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes. Dr. Kenneth Offit told the host that men who have a sister or mother with breast or ovarian cancer need the genetic test. Because my mother had ovarian cancer, Dr. Offit thinks I should have my genes examined.(...)Read the rest of Talk to your own doctor when hearing advice on the radioNo comment | Tags: Patient, Specialist | Category: Health in the media (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3965349 Tue, 14 Sep 2010 11:00:19 +0100 3965349 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3961793&cid=t_207441_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F09%2Fkevinmdcom-york-times-york-post-media-mentions.html I’d like to thank various media outlets for recently citing KevinMD.com.In her New York Times diagnosis column, The heat of the night, Lisa Sanders discusses the case where a patient live-blogged his hospital stay, crowd sourcing his diagnosis:[Physician blogger John] Schumann was worried, too. He lived nearly a thousand miles away — too far to come and see his friend. Besides, the patient was posting all his test results for his friends and family, so Schumann was following the case from a distance, and he still had no idea what was going on. If he was the second opinion, then the patient clearly needed a third. Suddenly Schumann had an idea. What if they opened the mystery of his symptoms to other doctors? What if they put his case on the Internet — on a blog read mostly by doctors... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3961793 Sun, 12 Sep 2010 10:37:01 +0100 3961793 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3772189&cid=t_207441_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F07%2Fthinspiration-proana-sites-perpetuate-eating-disorders.html by Kristina Fiore Websites that encourage teens to continue in their eating disorders tend to do so via “thinspiration” — a combination of images and prose that drive the viewer toward continued weight loss, researchers say. About 85% of these sites provide thinspirational photos (or “thinspo”) of ultrathin women and oaths to “Ana” or “Mia” — nicknames for anorexia and bulemia — according to Dina L.G. Borzekowski, EdD, of Johns Hopkins, and colleagues. (...)Read the rest of Thinspiration and pro-ana sites perpetuate eating disorders No comment | Tags: Patient | Category: Health in the media (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3772189 Tue, 20 Jul 2010 15:00:51 +0100 3772189 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3753752&cid=t_207441_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F07%2Fkevinmdcom-media-mentions-july-2010.html I’d like to thank various media outlets for recently citing KevinMD.com. USA Today: Some doctors join Facebook, Twitter; others wary As Nashua, N.H., internist Kevin Pho wrote in a USA TODAY op-ed piece in January, “there is little guidance on how physicians can incorporate (social media) into their medical practice.” … … Another roadblock, Pho said, is that doctors usually get paid only for talking to patients in the examining room, giving physicians little financial incentive to reach out to them over the Web. (...)Read the rest of KevinMD.com recent media mentions, July 2010 No comment | Tags: Facebook, Health reform, Primary care, Social media, Twitter | Category: Health in the media (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3753752 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 11:00:07 +0100 3753752 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3729817&cid=t_207441_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F07%2Ftv-promotes-sugary-cereals-kids-cartoons.html by Cole Petrochko Last week, I was sick, the kind of sick where you’re not well enough to leave the house and be productive, but not sick enough to successfully sniffle in bed and subsist entirely on chicken soup and the wishes of family. My existence during that time could have been summarized as, “Periodic bouts of achy consciousness followed by extended fever dreams about King of the Hill characters.” (...)Read the rest of How TV promotes sugary cereals to kids during cartoons No comment | Tags: Media | Category: Health in the media (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3729817 Tue, 06 Jul 2010 15:00:20 +0100 3729817 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3655552&cid=t_207441_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F06%2Fkevinmdcom-los-angeles-times-abc-news-media-mentions.html I’d like to thank various media outlets for recently citing KevinMD.com. ABC News: How long will you wait to see a doctor? While coverage is expected to extend to between 31 and 35 million Americans without insurance currently, a shortage of primary care doctors may mean extended wait times to actually see a doctor — if new patients can get in at all … … “That situation, extrapolated to the rest of the country, it has the potential to make for some very long wait times for primary care,” said Dr. Kevin Pho, an internal medicine physician in Nashua, N.H. “It’s going to significantly press our primary care system.” Pho said he has seen patients who reside in northern Massachusetts coming over the state line to New Hampshire for their care... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3655552 Sat, 12 Jun 2010 03:09:10 +0100 3655552 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3635857&cid=t_207441_109_f&fid=34699&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FvjmG%2F%7E3%2FUUcWP_waD3Y%2Fxkcd_worst-case_scenario.php XKCD usually is pretty good; this one, however, is a brillant commentary on science journalism. People forget that once an event has happened, the probability of that event is exactly 1, and the probability of all other outcomes is exactly zero. (Click image for full-size view.) (Source page.) Read the comments on this post... (Source: The Corpus Callosum) The Corpus Callosum blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3635857 Sun, 06 Jun 2010 19:03:38 +0100 3635857 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3585544&cid=t_207441_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F05%2Fhouse-md-physician-technical-advisor-interview.html by Ryan DuBosar “House, M.D.,” is the least realistic medical drama on television. That doesn’t bother Lisa Sanders, ACP Member, one of the show’s technical advisors. The lead character, Gregory House, MD, verbally abuses patients, goes overboard ordering tests and above all, he’s “a jerk,” Dr. Sanders said. But after all, it’s television, and the former CBS news producer turned med student turned Yale professor understands the difference between reality and good drama. Besides, as one of the show’s writers said after listening to Dr. Sanders’ lengthy lecture on proper medical procedures, “You’re right. But my way is funnier.” (...)Read the rest of House, M.D. physician technical advisor interview 2 comments | Tags: Media | Category: Health in the media (Source: ... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3585544 Fri, 21 May 2010 13:00:40 +0100 3585544 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3549260&cid=t_207441_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F05%2Fvanishing-oath-film-patients.html I recently watched The Vanishing Oath, a physician-directed documentary detailing the challenges impeding doctors to best care for their patients. It follows the travels of Ryan Flesher, MD, an emergency physician who took time off and traveled the country talking to university economists, an Emergency Medicine trailblazer, a malpractice attorney, medical academics, a divinity professor, current physicians, former physicians about what ails our health system. Here’s a video excerpt: (...)Read the rest of The Vanishing Oath is a film patients must see 1 comment | Tags: Emergency, Health reform, Media | Category: Health in the media (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3549260 Mon, 10 May 2010 13:00:41 +0100 3549260 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3482931&cid=t_207441_109_f&fid=34699&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FvjmG%2F%7E3%2FbwBl8cyohSQ%2Fthe_preservation_of_antibiotic.php Yes, this is old news.  I've written about it before, as have numerous other progressive scientifically-oriented bloggers.  But now that there is an opinion piece featured prominently in the New York Times, perhaps the issue is gaining momentum. Cows on Drugs By DONALD KENNEDY Published: April 17, 2010 NOW that Congress has pushed through its complicated legislation to reform the health insurance system, it could take one more simple step to protect the health of all Americans. This one wouldn't raise any taxes or make any further changes to our health insurance system, so it could be quickly passed by Congress with an outpouring of bipartisan support. Or could it? ... This sort of thing is politically unpopular, because the people who would benefit, do not have an strong lob... The Corpus Callosum blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3482931 Mon, 19 Apr 2010 14:32:05 +0100 3482931 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3437650&cid=t_207441_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F04%2Fkevinmd-joined-forces-medpage-today.html I am pleased to announce a partnership with MedPage Today. MedPage Today has supported my blog since its inception, and today’s announcement is a logical progression forward. What this mean to you, the valued reader? (...)Read the rest of KevinMD has joined forces with MedPage Today No comment | Tags: Media, Social media | Category: Health in the media (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3437650 Mon, 05 Apr 2010 13:41:59 +0100 3437650 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3436237&cid=t_207441_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F04%2Fgreys-anatomy-tv-doctors-skirt-bioethical-issues.html by John Gever As portrayed on popular television shows, physicians frequently deal with vexing ethical dilemmas — perhaps more often than occurs in real life, researchers said. Doctors on TV also sleep around a great deal, with each other and with patients, and behave unprofessionally in a host of other ways, reported researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore who analyzed the content of a full season of “House M.D.” and “Grey’s Anatomy.” (...)Read the rest of Grey’s Anatomy and other TV doctors skirt bioethical issues No comment | Tags: Media | Category: Health in the media (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3436237 Sun, 04 Apr 2010 15:00:07 +0100 3436237 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3408431&cid=t_207441_109_f&fid=34699&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FvjmG%2F%7E3%2FZzNsnmd7LPo%2Fin_which_hannity_demonstrates.php I guess Fox News is starting a series of vignettes, hoping to show that stimulus money is being wasted.  In an early attempt, Hannity and Carlson track down an entomologist, at Michigan State University, who got a $200,000 grant from stimulus funds.  The scientist is Dr. Anthony Cognato, Associate Professor in the Department of Entomology. I will let the viewers judge for themselves if the Fox crew managed to demonstrate anything at all.  One thing that is clear: they do not understand basic science, or anything about science.  They also fail to appreciate how foolish it is to confront experts, without having done some serious preparation.  If you are trying to make a point, you should not ask questions to experts, unless you have a pretty good idea of what t... The Corpus Callosum blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3408431 Fri, 26 Mar 2010 13:58:26 +0100 3408431 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3362356&cid=t_207441_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F03%2Fwear-seatbelt-shocking-public-health-ads.html No words are needed in this graphic, high-impact public health ad. (via Street Anatomy, where you can find other shocking public health ads) Brain ads for aspirin A swine flu, or H1N1 influenza, mask that tells you to get the hell away How to make a urinal sexy (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog) Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3362356 Fri, 12 Mar 2010 18:00:40 +0100 3362356 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3350224&cid=t_207441_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F03%2Fdvds-infants-learn-language.html Originally published in MedPage Today by Kristina Fiore, MedPage Today Staff Writer Infants don’t learn a great deal from language-acquisition DVDs, and may in fact be hindered from learning vocabulary, researchers have found. Tots who watched such DVDs over a six-week period didn’t have better language knowledge scores than youngsters who didn’t watch, and those who first tuned in at a younger age had lower language scores, according to Rebekah A. Richert, PhD, of the University of California Riverside, and colleagues. They reported their findings online in Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. “Apart from the gains in word knowledge we would expect from developing children, there was no evidence that children learned words specifically highlighted in a... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3350224 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:00:55 +0100 3350224 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3322310&cid=t_207441_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F03%2Ftelevision-medical-experts-created-equal.html Every television station has their own physician pundit commenting on medical news. But with some many different fields of medicine, how can a single physician claim to be an expert on every health topic? Surgeon Jeffrey Parks takes issue with ABC News’ recent coverage on the tragic death of Senator John Murtha. Richard Bessler, a pediatrician who works at the CDC, was the on camera expert commenting on the surgical complication. In analyzing the pundit, Dr. Parks noted “you can tell that he looked at a human atlas and saw that the colon seems to be pretty close to the gallbladder,” and, “his hypothesis [was] detached from any semblance of statistical likelihood.” Being a television medical expert means more than looking good and having a charismatic demeanor... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3322310 Tue, 02 Mar 2010 12:00:27 +0100 3322310 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3275742&cid=t_207441_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F02%2Famericans-online-health-information.html Originally published in MedPage Today by Cole Petrochko, MedPage Today Staff Writer Just over half of U.S. adults under 65 used the Internet to look up health information over the course of a year, according to the first National Health Interview Survey to collect data on health information technology. Although Americans are still concerned about security of medical information, the survey showed that 5% of consumers had used e-mail to contact healthcare providers directly. The survey of 7,192 participants measured consumers’ use of health information technology. Specifically, CDC researchers asked when participants had used a computer to store, retrieve, share, or use healthcare information to make decisions and communicate, to conduct research, and to communicate with healthcare ... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3275742 Tue, 16 Feb 2010 16:00:51 +0100 3275742 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3266863&cid=t_207441_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F02%2Fhaiti-disaster-relief-efforts-applied-domestically.html by John Schumann, MD Like most people, I’ve found the news and images coming from Haiti in the aftermath of the January’s earthquake appalling and upsetting. The sheer amount of devastation and orders of magnitude loss of life make the story compelling by itself. Coupled on top of Haiti’s ignominious history, the situation touches us for its Job-like quality: ”How much misery can one people withstand?” I’ve been pleased at the outpouring of support for Haiti. Part of me feared a sense of ‘crisis fatigue’ after the pacific tsunami and Hurricane Katrina, in addition to the fact that our economy is so weak. And, let’s be honest–Haitians are very much ‘others’–darker skinned, with a French-sounding language that likely doesn’t play well in more conservative/isol... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3266863 Thu, 11 Feb 2010 22:00:06 +0100 3266863 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3258929&cid=t_207441_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F02%2Ffame-corrupted-dr-mehmet-oz.html by Toni Brayer, MD The newest media doc on the block is Dr. Mehmet Oz. When he was first seen on Oprah, he seemed engaging and answered some interesting questions in a real and professional way. The audience loved his blue scrubs and boyish clean cut open style. That was then. Let’s face it . . . the media spotlight seems to corrupt even the best physicians. Dr. Oz now has his own show and website and production company. That is a pretty big infrastructure to maintain and we know that the public is fickle. So what does he do? His “Real-Age” website got 27 million people to sign up and take a health quiz. That information was sold to pharmaceutical companies who used the direct emails for marketing. Real-Age also sends the participants a series of emails about conditions they may (or ... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3258929 Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:00:52 +0100 3258929 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3246842&cid=t_207441_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F02%2Ftelling-patient-story-issues-facing-physician-writers.html by Danielle Ofri, MD, PhD There is a veritable epidemic of doctor-writers out there. What is going on? Are doctors suddenly in the kiss-and-tell mode? What about confidentiality? Professionalism? HIPAA? As one of the aforementioned doctor-writers, I look upon this trend with both awe and trepidation. I suspect that that this flourishing literary phenomenon relates to the public’s fascination and fear about all things medical. It also relates to the falling away of previous, pedestal-like images of doctors and doctoring. Lastly, it may have occurred to the medical profession—and this has taken a few centuries, it seems—that doctors have profound emotional reactions to the work we do, and that exploring these reactions may offer benefit to both patient and doctor. Whatever the reason, ... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3246842 Sat, 06 Feb 2010 12:00:11 +0100 3246842 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3227685&cid=t_207441_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F02%2Fhampshire-union-leader-reader.html Thank you to the New Hampshire Union Leader for naming me to the 2010 class of New Hampshire’s 40 Under Forty. (available print only, not online yet) It’s a tremendous honor, and I’m deeply humbled. I’d also like to welcome new readers to KevinMD.com who may have caught my columns last week in the USA Today and the New York Times’ Room for Debate blog, along with an appearance this past Sunday on Radio Rounds. I update the blog several times daily, not only including my own perspective on breaking medical issues, but also those of other health professionals who may offer contrasting opinions. I invite you to find out more about me and read my other opinion pieces, or continue the conversation on Twitter (Twitter.com/KevinMD) and Facebook (Facebook.com/KevinMDb... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3227685 Mon, 01 Feb 2010 14:00:45 +0100 3227685 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3227686&cid=t_207441_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F02%2Fpoll-journalism-ethics-physicians-reporting-haiti.html In the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake, the role of physician-journalists have come under scrutiny. After the quake, the major television networks sent their doctor-reporters to the region, and allowed them to assist with Haitians needing medical attention. CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta treated a 15-day old baby with a head laceration on camera, while NBC’s Dr. Nancy Snyderman has splinted broken bones, and ABC’s Dr. Richard Besser helped a woman deliver a premature baby. Journalists normally distance themselves from the news in order to ensure fair and unbiased reporting. Should physicians reporting from Haiti be held to the same standard? Involving these doctors in the story can obscure independent observation essential to accurate reporting. Worse, some ethicists think ther... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3227686 Mon, 01 Feb 2010 12:00:14 +0100 3227686 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3220692&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F01%2Fandrew-wakefield-verdict-guilty.html Guilty The General Medical Council has ruled that Andrew Wakefield, one of autism's most notorious False Prophets and quintessential brave maverick doctor is guilty of having "showed a callous disregard" for the suffering of children and has "abused his position of trust." According to The Guardian's report:Wakefield also acted dishonestly and was misleading and irresponsible in the way he described research that was later published in the Lancet medical journal, the GMC said. He had gone against the interests of children in his care, and his conduct brought the medical profession "into disrepute" after he took blood samples from youngsters at his son's birthday party in return for payments of £5.The doctor, who was absent from today's GMC hearing, faces being struck off the medical regi... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3220692 Thu, 28 Jan 2010 16:39:00 +0100 3220692 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2973877&cid=t_207441_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F11%2Famerican-college-rheumatology-barring-media-adding-cme.html by Robert Stern, MA, CCMEP In our continuing saga with the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and their oppressive media policies, one of our readers kindly forwarded a letter received by her from the president of the ACR who provides his justification for attempting to restrict MedPage Today’s access to their annual meeting. For context, let’s begin with the letter from our supportive reader, Dr. Michelle Hemingway: Dear Dr. Gabriel and Ms. Tilley, I am writing because I am disappointed in the stance taken by ACR in having given big limitations to the work done by MedPage. I find their reporting of all specialties a big aide in keeping up with issues not specifically in my field so I can answer patient questions appropriately. It seems that this is more of a ‘turf&... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2973877 Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:00:39 +0100 2973877 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2920126&cid=t_207441_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F10%2Floses-physician-conferences-restrict-medical-news-reporting.html by Robert Stern, MA, CCMEP Almost a decade ago, I had a simple idea — deliver fast, accurate medical news to clinicians in a format that was easily accessible, and turn that news into a “teachable moment.” Almost five years ago, that idea became reality with the launch of MedPage Today. Monday through Friday (and if news is happening, Saturday and Sunday, too), MedPage Today delivers on our promise of “Putting Breaking Medical News into Practice.” Our reporters and editors not only scan prepublication copies of top medical journals seeking medical news that is likely to influence daily clinical practice, but also travel worldwide to report medical news delivered at scientific meetings. These gatherings are important as a primary source of medical information. ... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2920126 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:00:18 +0100 2920126 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2916044&cid=t_207441_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F10%2Fnewspapers-reported-science-cover-world-series.html by Larry Husten, Ph.D. October brings the Nobel Prize announcements and the World Series. No one will mistake media coverage of one for the other. Each Nobel Prize will get one article and 10 seconds on the evening news. A soft feature will quote the new Nobel recipient’s complete surprise at the 4 AM phone call. By contrast, baseball, like all major sports, is covered in great depth, by legions of sports reporters. Coverage is continuous during the long baseball season, reaches a near-hysterical peak in October, and continues generously even during the off-season. Let’s try a thought experiment. Imagine for a moment that newspapers covered baseball the way they cover science. What would happen? What kind of articles would we see and what kind of stories would we miss? The World Serie... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2916044 Wed, 21 Oct 2009 19:00:09 +0100 2916044 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2832089&cid=t_207441_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F09%2Fhealth-care-system-promotes-disease-maintenance.html by Marya Zilberberg, MD, MPH When I was growing up in the 1970s, news was different, and this is not just the everything-was-better-in-my-day nostalgia. News was about news. News was not sexy. What has changed? Robert Reich’s Supercapitalism, makes the answer obvious: competition. Interestingly, according to economic theories, competition is good for the consumer – it drives quality up and prices down. That may be true for toilet paper, but it has not panned out for such consumables as news and health care. Instead, these markets in their entirety have moved in the same direction, applying the same strategies to maximizing profits. By definition, a high bottom line comes from only two sources: low expenditures or high returns, and preferably both. Since commercial news channels are... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2832089 Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:00:21 +0100 2832089 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2765946&cid=t_207441_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F09%2Fpeople-cling-false-health-reform-beliefs.html Blame motivated reasoning. Newsweek’s Sharon Begley writes about the phenomenon, which goes a long way why the myth about “death panels” continues to persist in the health reform conversation. She cites the work of sociologist Steve Hoffman, who explains: “Rather than search rationally for information that either confirms or disconfirms a particular belief, people actually seek out information that confirms what they already believe.” And with a growing majority obtaining their news through pundit-tinged lens, such as from FOX News on the right and MSNBC on the left, there’s always fodder to confirm pre-existing beliefs. Ms. Begley goes on to suggest that cognitive dissonance is also in play: This theory holds that when people are presented with informat... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2765946 Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:00:43 +0100 2765946 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2744039&cid=t_207441_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F08%2Fnetwork-morning-news-shows-emerging-public-health-threat.html Journalism professor Gary Schwitzer is the foremost health media watchdog, with his organization rigorously monitoring the health content of major media. During the past year, he notes a disturbing trend. According to his analysis, the health segments on network television morning shows, “unquestioningly promote new drugs and new technologies, feed the ‘worried well’ by raising unrealistic expectations of unproven technologies that may produce more harm than good, fail to ask tough questions, [and] make any discussion of health care reform that much more difficult.” Professor Schwitzer’s group over at Health News Review rates segments on a 5 star scale, and when looking at almost 20 sample morning show segments this year, none rated higher than 2 stars on a st... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2744039 Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:00:23 +0100 2744039 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2702267&cid=t_207441_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F08%2Fsubmit-a-guest-post-on-kevinmd-and-be-heard.html KevinMD is among the web’s most influential and well-read medical blogs, with almost 30,000 subscribers and 13,300 Twitter followers. You can have the opportunity to reach this audience by submitting a guest opinion piece on anything related to health care. Articles of about 500 words in length and free of grammatical and spelling errors are preferred. Accepted pieces will not only be published on the blog, but syndicated on a growing Facebook network, Twitter, as well as an e-newsletter distributed to thousands. Professional medical organizations, such as the American Medical Association and American College of Physicians, already contribute to the blog, as well as individual readers. There is also an opportunity to become a regular contributor to the blog if several, quality, guest... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2702267 Sat, 15 Aug 2009 11:00:31 +0100 2702267 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2702268&cid=t_207441_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F08%2Fshould-you-follow-medical-advice-from-the-huffington-post.html The Huffington Post is one of the most prominent, and fastest growing, news sites, and as pediatrician Rahul Parikh puts it, “one of the most valuable pieces of real estate on the Internet these days.” They have a prominent health and wellness section, but as you can read from Dr. Parikh’s piece, The Huffington Post is crazy about your health, readers be warned. As with their approach to other topics, The Huffington Post accepts submissions from a wide variety of bloggers, some of whom, “mirror [founder Arianna Huffington's] own advocacy of alternative medicine.” With such influence, that can be problematic. Well documented are numerous pieces advocating against childhood vaccines, and perpetuating its mythical link with autism. And by accepting factually susp... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2702268 Fri, 14 Aug 2009 19:00:07 +0100 2702268 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2634599&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F07%2Fim-mummy-and-ill-vent-if-i-want-to.html I am so sick of this. There are some people who choose publicise their feeling of rage, hate and shock at having given birth to autistic children. On Gonzo's blog I read about one woman's horrible bile-filled blog post about her daughter. This child is 8 years old. Her mum describes her as "recovered from autism" whatever that means. But this girl still causes her mum so much pain because she just isn't how she's supposed to be (link broken deliberately). The mother complains that her daughter isn't into dolls and make up, but prefers to goof about, play computer games or ride a scooter. I mean, how dare the child resist the gender role assigned to her. If she doesn't start with the make up by 8 she'll never know how to apply liquid liner properly.But mum has more to say. She is jealous of... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2634599 Thu, 23 Jul 2009 21:00:00 +0100 2634599 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2588159&cid=t_207441_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F07%2Fare-drug-companies-trying-to-influence-health-journalists.html The pharmaceutical industry has been vilified by its close association with physicians. With reforms having distanced these two groups, it appears they are moving onto trying to influence reporters. As journalist professor Gary Schwitzer writes in a recent blog entry, Pfizer is offering journalism fellowships on cancer issues. The program, not unlike Pharma-sponsored CME for doctors, includes an all-expense paid trip for the 4-day seminar. Professor Schwitzer has a problem with the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) promoting the fellowship, and indeed, “If taking free airfare, lodging and meals from a drug company whose work you cover isn’t at least a perceived conflict of interest, I don’t know what it is. And I don’t think SPJ should promote events in i... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2588159 Fri, 10 Jul 2009 11:00:09 +0100 2588159 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2523546&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F06%2Fso-gordon-met-polly.html The media provides endless stupid when it comes to autism. The latest Daily Mail article has the fantastically asinine headline, "I helped my son beat autism by making him give up Weetabix." But the ignorance of Daily Mail headline writers is to be expected. What though, can explain the decision of the Prime Minister of the UK, with all the difficulties he currently faces, the country in financial chaos, his party suffering near annihilation in the elections and his own precarious position as our beloved leader,to find the time to have a chat with Polly Tommey, a self appointed representative of some entity she's called "Autism Mothers".How did this woman get the ear of the PM? She and her supporters ran an astute marketing campaign of billboards and posters costing over £500 000 (accordi... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2523546 Wed, 24 Jun 2009 18:36:00 +0100 2523546 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2523549&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F06%2Faction-for-children-ad-demonising.html In January, a major UK children's charity, Action for Children, released a television advertisement ostensibly about the help they had offered an autistic boy. It gave however, a shockingly inaccurate, damaging and offensive portrayal of autism and I and several others (listed here) wrote about the ad and contacted the charity with our concerns. Action for Children responded with a form letter apologising for upsetting us, as if that made it all OK, but ignoring all our valid explanations of why the ad was wrong. I created a Facebook group as a way of mobilising support and attention on the issue quickly and in a few weeks, over 2600 people had joined. The ad was supposed to have run for 3 weeks but was pulled after only 2.In January, I complained to the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) ... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2523549 Wed, 17 Jun 2009 09:28:00 +0100 2523549 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2523550&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F06%2Fmt-letter-to-asa-about-action-for.html Now that the ASA have ruled that the monster ad did not breach their code of practise, I will publish in full the letter I submitted about the ad. I will shortly publish my view on the ruling and Action for Children's response.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The Complaints Reception TeamAdvertising Standards AuthorityMid City Place71 High HolbornLondonWC1V 6QT31 January 2009 Dear Sir or Madam, While I commend the work Action for Children does as a charity, and have no doubt of their good intentions, I object to this campaign and contend that it breaches the CAP Code for TV advertising, section 11.3.4, relating to ethical responsibility, in the following ways. 11.3.4(b) The problem AFC seeks aid for is exaggerated by the use ... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2523550 Wed, 17 Jun 2009 07:02:00 +0100 2523550 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2442358&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F05%2Fmiddleton-autism-centre-whats-point.html In the brave new world of Irish politics, we were promised great things to come from North-South initiatives. For some bizarre reason, it was decided that the needs of autistic children in Ireland would be best met by placing a dedicated autism centre in a tiny village about half way between Belfast and Dublin. Here was an opportunity for those with a vested interest in such things to proclaim the benefits of a centre that would, we were told, be an excellent resource for everyone, north and south. It has come to nothing. According to a BBC report, £6 million has been spent on the centre since it was approved 7 years ago, yet not a single child has been through its doors. Instead it, "currently carries out research and training for professionals who work within the autism field" though th... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2442358 Thu, 21 May 2009 10:32:00 +0100 2442358 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2386959&cid=t_207441_109_f&fid=34699&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FvjmG%2F%7E3%2FunsCHThUkNw%2Fucs_kudos_to_obama.php The Union of Concerned Scientists has issued a press release: UCS Gives Obama High Marks on Scientific Integrity for First 100 Days.  Granted, after suffering through eight years of the Bush II Administation, they'd probably give high marks to Pee Wee Herman.  They believe that Obama has taken a personal interest in restoring integrity to the interface between science and politics.  While acknowledging that he hasn't and couldn't take a lot of action in his first 100 days in office, they express the opinion that genuine reform is on the way.  UCS is perceived by some (1 2 3 4) as a progressive, or liberal organization.  Some may think that they would reflexively grant their approval to a Democrat.  Perhaps, although in my opinion this is nonsense.  An... The Corpus Callosum blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2386959 Mon, 04 May 2009 13:16:17 +0100 2386959 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2376563&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F04%2Fautism-culture-in-salon.html Via Michelle Dawson's Autism Crisis blog, I have just read a recent Salon article about the supposed "burgeoning "autism culture" movement". This is presented as an idea with which "not all parents or medical experts agree." Amazingly, Elizabeth Svoboda the article's author, totally misrepresented the work Michelle Dawson does and just invented a belief system for her. Ms Svoboda did not contact Michelle before writing about her. Michelle works as an autism researcher but is mistakenly called a "autistic-rights crusader" who "convinced the Canadian Supreme Court to overturn an appeal that would have provided state funding for ABA therapy." Read Michelle's post to learn the truth about her court appearances.Ms Svoboda writes, Like the deaf culture movement before it, the so-called autistic ... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2376563 Wed, 29 Apr 2009 11:16:00 +0100 2376563 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2365333&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F04%2Fhorse-mum-gets-in-touch.html I was very interested to read a few comments on my "Horse Boy" blog post from Kristin Neff, the mother of the child featured in the book. I don't think she likes what I had to say.I am happy to respond to her comments but since she wrote so much, I thought it warranted a separate blog post.My comments will be in red below.Comment 1 Might be a good idea to read the book before slamming it. I have not slammed the book so much as the media articles I have read and listened to about the book and by the book's author. I have read several long excerpts from the book in a UK newspaper and listened to a detailed and uncritical radio interview with your husband on Irish radio. I have made it clear that my criticisms are based on all these.It's amazing how quick people are to judge things, with almo... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2365333 Thu, 23 Apr 2009 10:19:00 +0100 2365333 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2349347&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F04%2Fhorse-boy-book-and-me-in-new-york-times.html A few weeks ago I shared some thoughts on a recently published book, a new addition to the autism-parent canon. In this one, instead of using a dog, a restrictive diet, behaviourism or some random, off-label and unproven combination of medications to defeat the dread autism, the parent has subjected the autistic child to shaman "healing" rituals and dragged the boy, with a film crew, across Mongolia on horse back.The post was read by New York Times journalist Motoko Rich, who contacted me for an interview as she was writing an article on the Horse Boy book which was released in the USA this week. Her article appeared today with the unfortunate headline; A Gallop Toward Hope: One Family’s Adventure in Fighting Autism.Fighting autism- ouch.It's clearly a brilliant article, and my inclusion... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2349347 Wed, 15 Apr 2009 21:36:00 +0100 2349347 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2287274&cid=t_207441_109_f&fid=34699&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FvjmG%2F%7E3%2FcbeuFbWtZXk%2Fstate_of_the_birds_faith_parti.php When I was at work today, I saw a headline that irritated me.  I decided I would blog about it when I got home.  But now the headline has been changed.  I will still blog about it, though. The original headline was: Report: Alternative energy quest endangering birds.  Now, it is worded differently: Report: Birds endangered by energy development By DINA CAPPIELLO - 4 hours ago WASHINGTON (AP) -- As the Obama administration pursues more homegrown energy sources, a new government report faults energy production of all types - wind, ethanol and mountaintop coal mining - for contributing to steep drops in bird populations. The first-of-its-kind government report chronicles a four-decade decline in many of the country's bird populations and provides many reasons for it, ... The Corpus Callosum blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2287274 Fri, 20 Mar 2009 13:58:13 +0100 2287274 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2232822&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F02%2Ffacebook-and-twitter-cause-autism.html Or was it dog shampoo, plastic toys, forward facing strollers, vaccinations, refrigerator mothers, TV, rain, old sperm (though I suppose it depends on what you do with it) or wi-fi?Susan Greenfield, head of the Royal Institution, raised concerns about social networking sites in a House of Lords debate:"Perhaps we should therefore not be surprised that those within the spectrum of autism are particularly comfortable in the cyber world. The internet has even been linked to sign language, considered as beneficial for autistic people as sign language proved for the deaf. Of course, we do not know whether the current increase in autism is due more to increased awareness and diagnosis of autism, or whether it can—if there is a true increase—be in any way linked to an increased prevalence amo... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2232822 Sat, 28 Feb 2009 14:04:00 +0100 2232822 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2232823&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F02%2Fmore-manure-about-autism-in-media.html Sweet mother of mercy have they taken leave of their senses. Some dude wrote a totally ridiculous book, and the newspapers give him lots of space to promote his totally wacky notions. Can this be right?The book is called "The Horse Boy" by Rupert Isaacson. The Times features the book opening with the title,"Shamans and horses work magic on autistic RowanRupert Isaacson was almost at his wits’ end over his son’s demonic fits, but a riding trip in Mongolia to visit local healers brought an amazing change""Demonic fits"...I ask you. How is this stuff cleared for publication, doesn't anyone catch themselves the hell on and think that perhaps such language might be offensive, inaccurate, discriminatory?! And given that the young son of a prominent politician died this week, a child who had ... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2232823 Fri, 27 Feb 2009 18:14:00 +0100 2232823 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2182661&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F02%2Fdarwin-day-2009.html Happy Darwin Day human animals!Clearly in the home of a biologist and (I may have been rubbish but...) an ex-physicist, a day dedicated to honouring the great man and science in general is not going to pass by unnoticed.I was reading to Lady and Thomas about Charles Darwin and his work. We talked about how he was fascinated by all the different species he observed on his travels and wanted to find a way to explain such diversity. We mentioned how the generations before Darwin thought there were only a few hundred types of animal, as many believed literally that they'd all had to fit on Noah's Ark. Thomas didn't know that story so Lady enlightened him. "Ah," said he, "it's like Evan Almighty". Well, close enough. But as I explained, by Darwin's time scientists and explorers already knew the... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2182661 Thu, 12 Feb 2009 10:40:00 +0100 2182661 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2182662&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F02%2Fwho-wants-to-win-autisms-false-prophets.html This week, people around the world learned of Jeni Barnett's ignorance and how her radio station, LBC, attempted to stifle debate with legal threats. As explained so elegantly on Autism News Beat, Jeni is a,"British actress who feels obligated to share what she knows about vaccines and measles. But since she knows so little, Barnet was compelled to fill the rest of her three hour time slot with anti-vaccine talking points, addle-pated weltanschauung, and other assorted brain farts."From the wonderful worlds of autism and vaccine quackery, and sadly the two are inextricably linked, we also learned this week of Andrew Wakefield's incompetence/falsification of data (the only possible explanations for what happened).In a bid to restore balance to the universe, I shall give away a copy of Paul ... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2182662 Wed, 11 Feb 2009 17:16:00 +0100 2182662 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2177567&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F02%2Fwakefield-falsified-data-to-link-mmr-to.html One of the major sources of suffering for autistic people and their parents over the past 10 years, has been the continued association in the media and in the public's consciousness between the MMR vaccine and autism. Andrew Wakefield was a gut surgeon, a maverick doctor with a hunch and in the pay of lawyers. He held the patent on a rival measles vaccine and stood to benefit if somehow he could sully the MMR vaccine approved of by the health department and have it replaced with his own measles vaccine. For a while he tried to link the MMR with Crohn's disease to no avail, so he must have been delighted when he heard whisperings of parents blaming the MMR for causing their children's autism. He managed to recruit a bunch of these parents, most of whom were suing the government for causing ... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2177567 Sun, 08 Feb 2009 09:08:00 +0100 2177567 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2177568&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F02%2Faction-for-children-abolish-odious-ad.html The monster was saddened by his premature dismissal.Something smells good today.Our coalition of bloggers, Facebook users, disability organisations and exceedingly obliging autism professionals, have partially succeeded. Action for Children had previously expressed their intention to air the monstrous autism ad on television until February 15 in emails to Barbara Jacobs and to Mike Stanton:"Action for Children is a major provider of services for disabled children, including some with autism. We have other significant areas of work as well, and are a leading charity working with over 178,000 of the most vulnerable children, young people and their family members.The advert will be running until the 15th February. If you would like to further your complaint or concerns about our advertisement... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2177568 Sat, 07 Feb 2009 19:24:00 +0100 2177568 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2156537&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F02%2Faction-for-children-arrant-hypocrisy.html I've been reading a document that is full of excellent advice on how to portray children in film and photographs(PDF link). According to the authors, images used in publicity material must portray a:"A positive message – Children are at the centre of everything we do, and we know for certain that children want to be portrayed in a positive way in themedia. There is no point in fighting for children’s rights, if we then underminethis work, by using imagery that they will find offensive. This is in fact one ofour organisation’s pledges."Before I share more of the sensitive and considerate advice contained in this document, I will reveal that the organisation who have pledged that they will not use offensive imagery as it undermines efforts to effect children's rights, is...Action for C... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2156537 Tue, 03 Feb 2009 16:46:00 +0100 2156537 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2153007&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F02%2Fprofessor-simon-baron-cohen-speaks.html I've been granted permission to share a recent email I received from Professor Baron-Cohen of the Autism Research Centre at Cambridge University regarding the current advertising campaign by Action for Children:"Whilst I support any efforts to help children with autism and to alleviate suffering, I hope there will be more thought given to both the language and the imagery we use, to avoid risk of offence. For example, the name of the charity DAN contains the word "Defeat", as if autism is a disease like cancer against which we have to wage war. Autism is a complex mix of disability and strength, and whilst we need to work to find imaginative ways to reduce the disabling aspects, we do not wish to "defeat autism" since this would also eliminate the positive aspects. The latter include an ex... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2153007 Mon, 02 Feb 2009 11:47:00 +0100 2153007 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2147620&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F01%2Ftony-attwood-slams-action-for-children.html Mike Stanton has posted an email on his blog, which gives the response of Tony Attwood, a well known researcher on autism to the Action for Children ad. We have been given permission to share what he had to say:“I am very concerned that the advert gives a message that children with autism and Asperger’s syndrome are dangerous and potentially disturbed.When the child refers to “correct errors in my behaviour” this seems to imply ‘brain washing’ and a sense of guilt for how he behaved.Many of the behaviours I consider as coping mechanisms for the lack of understanding and respect from other people.He refers to reacting when people insult him. Those that insulted him need the treatment.”There is no mistaking it.There is no way Action for Children can wriggle out of this and try ... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2147620 Fri, 30 Jan 2009 13:47:00 +0100 2147620 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2134776&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F01%2Faction-for-children-new-film-about-dan.html I made a video using Bev's improved illustrations.The Action for Children campaign isn't merely offensive. After all, no one has the right not to be offended. The problem is that it misrepresents autism, portraying it as an external monster to be defeated. The problem is the damage it will do to the self esteem of young autistic people in particular. The problem is the way in which this ad contributes to the mass of misinformation and prejudiced, negative rhetoric about autism in the media and wider society. The problem is, parents of recently diagnosed children will see this advertisement and worry unnecessarily about their children and may be more willing to fall for the false promises of the shamans selling dangerous and expensive, quack autism "treatments."The comments on our Facebook ... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2134776 Sun, 25 Jan 2009 22:02:00 +0100 2134776 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2132541&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F01%2Faction-for-children-rotten-campaign.html I had a reply from Gary Day of Action for Children to my letter of complaint regarding their campaign:"Thank you for your recent e-mail concerning our current advertisingcampaign. I am sorry that the current 'Dan' TV advert has upset you thiswas never our intention.Action for Children's new advert focuses on how we as a charity help to transform the lives of the most vulnerable children and young people. It is focussed on the real story of Dan who has autism. The advert is the second of three, which all take real and different stories from children and young people across our different areas of work.As a charity we're committed to giving vulnerable children and young people a voice about issues that affect them-and this approach was central to the way we designed and produced the ads, and ... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2132541 Sun, 25 Jan 2009 10:50:00 +0100 2132541 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2131357&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F01%2Fautistic-children-demonised-by-action.html I was having a pleasant enough evening though Duncan was finding it hard to settle to sleep and boinged up and down the stairs with his wind-up torch and battered Green Eggs and Ham book. I'd enjoyed the splendid @stephenfry on the rehabilitated @wossy show and was impressed by just how much Tom Cruise resembles a 3/4 size Michael-6. I'd a case of itchy remote finger so flicked the channels about a bit, and then I saw it: an horrific new advertisement by the charity Action for Children.A few minutes later I saw that Mike had already blogged about it and presented his reasoned objections to the ad. He has also transcribed the voice over:"I used to lash out if something pushed my buttons or I wasn’t able to do something. Things that wound me up were if they’d insulted me I would physical... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2131357 Sat, 24 Jan 2009 09:38:00 +0100 2131357 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2115641&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F01%2Fautism-discussion-on-radio.html Staring me!I didn't get off to such a good start though.The taxi was to pick me up at 8.15 am to arrive at the BBC by 8.45. I woke several times in the night, always checking the time on our clock radio. Just after 7am I had to sort out the dog and though I felt wide awake, I went back to bed as I didn't want to sit about worrying for over an hour. The phone rang a while later; I was told my taxi was waiting, and had been outside for 10 minutes. I stupidly told him it was almost an hour early, but no, turns out my clock was an hour late. Yikes!I managed to get ready quick sharp, aware that given how little time I'd spent on my appearance, I was presenting a face for radio. The taxi man worked some sort of miracle and got me to Broadcasting House on time. I'd a few minutes before we entered... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2115641 Mon, 19 Jan 2009 21:15:00 +0100 2115641 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2107784&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F01%2Fshort-mostly-happy-post.html Duncan likes to look at this blog, in particular at his pictures, films and photos. He cuddled beside me just now as I clicked onto the archives for November looking for the link to my "Flying Virgin" post. He smiled at the photo of him sleeping next to me and said, "Mummy is holding Duncan. Mummy is keeping Duncan safe and Duncan is happy on the Virgin aeroplane."Oh boy, he melts my heart. Being with this amazing child is the antidote to the vicious disablism evident in the comments on a CiF piece in the Guardian yesterday. By the time I read it there were 125 comments so I couldn't even be bothered to address the cruel misunderstandings and insults. Bah.On another topic, Thomas and Lady both received good news at their gymnastics class yesterday. Both were complimented by a senior coach ... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2107784 Thu, 15 Jan 2009 15:48:00 +0100 2107784 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2097956&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F01%2Fprenatal-tests-and-curing-autism-in.html Checking the Guardian late last night, I saw a glut of autism headlines. The first is New research brings autism screening closer to reality.Baron-Cohen and his team have just published on their study tracking 250 children, all of whom had amniotic fluid testosterone levels tested prenatally. These non-autistic children's consequent development has been studied until they were 8 years old. I have not managed to source the study paper but on the ARC website I read:So far we have only conducted studies of typical individual differences and found that foetal testosterone is inversely associated with social development, language development, and empathy; and that foetal testosterone is positively associated with systemizing and number of autistic traits.So, based on this, the papers are shouti... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2097956 Mon, 12 Jan 2009 08:44:00 +0100 2097956 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2084081&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F01%2Fhomeopathy-cures-autism.html Nah, of course it doesn't! I'm not a total idiot. Obviously you can't make an autistic brain non-autistic with a drink of water. But I get loads of Google hits here from folk interested in the magik water and it's supposed effects on autism. Most of them soon realise from what I wrote on the topic (here and here) that I'm just pointing and laughing at their funny notions, and they click away to more suitable sites where there are lots of flower pictures and glowing testimonials.Dilute flower juice; brain changing!Image from stock.xchngMost of these visitors I know of only via their footprint on my stat counting software. But in the past few days I've received comments from 2 of them. One was upset at my bad attitude to John Melnychuk:Can someone please explain why John Melnychuk is being h... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2084081 Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:27:00 +0100 2084081 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2011195&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F12%2Fprenatal-testing-and-disability.html There have been several articles in the UK media recently about prenatal testing and the number of children with Down Syndrome born each year. Some stories have suggested that an increase in the number of children born with Down syndrome, suggests that we're living in a more caring and accepting world, while others have criticised the interpretation of the data, suggesting that the percentage of fetuses with Down syndrome to be aborted has not changed.Via Michelle Dawson's TMoB board, I discovered a couple of articles in the Times, one which disgusted me and one which I cheered. The first, by Minette Marrin, contains many outstandingly ignorant and prejudiced statements, like this:I am convinced that it is a grave misfortune for babies to be born with Down’s or any comparably serious syn... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2011195 Thu, 04 Dec 2008 10:52:00 +0100 2011195 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1502517&cid=t_207441_109_f&fid=34699&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FvjmG%2F%7E3%2F307657486%2Flwss_journal.php Welcome to the Lake Wobegon Scientific Society Journal, where  all research studies are "authoritative", all scientists "experts", all findings "breakthroughs".  Not to mention "above average". That happens to be almost a direct quote from a recent article in the the Guardian.  (HT: Black Triangle) Overhyped health stories? They're all pants Peter Wilby The Guardian, Monday June 2 2008 Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: The Corpus Callosum) The Corpus Callosum blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1502517 Mon, 09 Jun 2008 01:41:42 +0100 1502517 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1316704&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F03%2Fmore-on-autism-mmr-trash-story.html I wrote recently about a terrible newspaper article entitled "Court links MMR to autism."Last Sunday's edition contained a letter of complaint about that article;LAST Sunday, Phil Doherty wrote an article titled Court Links MMR to Autism. The USA Vaccine Injury Compensation hearing did not link autism to the MMR. The child under discussion, Hannah Poling, has an extremely rare, genetically acquired, metabolic disorder affecting her mitochondria. The court, which requires a much lower burden of proof than scientific or medical procedures, has agreed only that the vaccinations “significantly aggravated an underlying mitochondrial disorder” resulting in a brain disorder “with features of autism spectrum disorder”. That is not the same as stating she “did develop the condition — au... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1316704 Thu, 20 Mar 2008 09:16:00 +0100 1316704 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1300364&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F03%2Fday-with-autism.html I have breakfast early with Gordon before he goes to work. As usual, Thomas is the first of the children to rise, but then, he's always first to fall asleep too. After I've opened their curtains and hassled them both a bit, Lady and Duncan manage to drag themselves out of bed at 8.30 or so. They have breakfast, then Thomas goes to play The Simpsons Wii game, which he desperately wants to finish; he's going well too. Lady heads upstairs to get dressed and tidy her room, then she has to feed her guinea pigs. Duncan settles in front of the PC to watch YouTube films (mostly Noddy) and to play Roller Coaster Tycoon. He's getting very good at it now, and designs all his own coasters rather than using the pre-set selections. While they're occupied, I tidy up and do a few chores. For the rest of t... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1300364 Thu, 13 Mar 2008 15:20:00 +0100 1300364 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1291070&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F03%2Fcourt-links-mmr-to-autism-well-no.html Oh dear. The latest source of nonsense and misinformation has reached this side of the Atlantic Ocean.I noticed this headline yesterday, from a UK local newspaper (Newcastle's Sunday Sun), "Court links MMR to autism."This little piece of fiction is attributed to Phil Doherty;FAMILIES who blamed the MMR jab for their children’s autism may be vindicated by a landmark court case. The Government has denied a link between the immunisation and autism, but a US court ruled that a girl did develop the condition after a series of jabs.No it did not. The child in question, Hannah Poling, was found to have an extremely rare, genetically acquired metabolic disorder affecting her mitochondria.The case was heard by the USA Division of Vaccine Injury Compensation, which requires a much lower standard o... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1291070 Mon, 10 Mar 2008 08:11:00 +0100 1291070 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1268453&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F02%2Fmercury-and-autism-what-link.html An Irish anti-vaccination spokesperson has popped up in the letters page of the Irish Independent. He's hoping to cash in on their recent focus on autism to promote his own crank theories:In respect of the report that certain TDs are demanding special education classes for autistic children, I recall that some years ago, the Irish Independent reported that the National Adult Literacy Agency claimed that more that 400,000 people in this country had some level of difficulty in reading and writing and that the problem is causing an amount of alarm. Included were an increasing number of brain-damaged autistic children euphemistically classed as "slow learners". Autism is still on the increase worldwide, and nobody is asking why. We should be concerned about prevention and not education ... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1268453 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 18:10:00 +0100 1268453 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1261676&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F02%2Fwired-on-autism.html Who'd have guessed, a (mostly) accurate, informative article about autism in the media!The article in Wired, features Amanda Baggs and Michelle Dawson, so I shouldn't be too surprised; they're both incredible, knowledgeable and smart women who have done much to challenge the many myths about autism.The first interview in the article is with Amanda, and describes how the increasing popularity of her YouTube video, caught the attention of the media;By 300,000, the TV people came calling, hearts warmed by the story of a young woman's fiery spirit and the rare glimpse into what has long been regarded as the solitary imprisonment of the autistic mind. "I've said a million times that I'm not trapped in my own world,'" Baggs says. "Yet what do most of these news stories lead with? Saying exactly ... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1261676 Wed, 27 Feb 2008 10:44:00 +0100 1261676 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1250219&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F02%2Fwhat-do-i-know.html Via Orac, I came across this great comic;(Click for the full-sized version.)It's almost as if someone else has been despairing at the Irish media's coverage of the ABA stand-off!Because, it continues.Last Sunday, there was an opinion piece entitled "Disgraceful system that has failed or children." Writer Marc Coleman states that "What is happening with autism calls on our resources of outrage." But just a few lines later he writes, "Thank God, I have no experience of autism in my immediate family: in Ireland that would be some cross to bear."Is anyone else outraged at this disgusting statement? How dare he say people like my son are a cross to bear.He then tells the story of a friend of his who rang him to apologise that he wouldn't be able to attend his wedding, as the friend's child was ... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1250219 Fri, 22 Feb 2008 15:31:00 +0100 1250219 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1234668&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F02%2Faba-hyped-in-irish-media.html I've written a few times about the hype and inaccuracies about ABA in the Irish media recently. Well it continues. Here I examine and summarise some of these articles.On Wednesday, the Irish parliament debated a motion by opposition party Fine Gael, calling for government funding of as many ABA schools as parents want.According to the Irish Independent,Experts say ABA is the best form of education for autistic children, but the Government refuses to provide blanket funding for the therapy.Who are these experts, and what gives them the authority to say such a thing without evidence?The reporting of the ABA stories is entirely credulous.Imagine if some people had developed what they said was a treatment for, say, epilepsy. They have no studies showing increased efficacy of their treatment ov... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1234668 Fri, 15 Feb 2008 11:51:00 +0100 1234668 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1215331&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F02%2Faba-for-autism-at-irish-high-court.html The Irish Independent is really working those autism stories this week. I just read another in-depth family interview, this time with the parents who just lost their High Court case to have state funding of their son's ABA programme.The journalist starts by describing the little boy whose educational provision is being decided, and claims that the Education Minister would "melt to his giddy charms and be humbled by his brave attempts to enter a world that often seems so foreign and frustrating to him." His Parents face a possible €2m legal bill, but the boy is unaware and sits playing a computer game "with a concentration remarkable for an autistic child.He he! Doesn't the journalist, Gemma O'Doherty, know anything about what is and isn't remarkable for an autistic child! Playing compute... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1215331 Thu, 07 Feb 2008 15:25:00 +0100 1215331 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1215332&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F02%2Firish-autism-advocates-obsession-with.html Yesterday's Irish Independent contained a story about a family with two children who "suffer from autism."Both our beautiful boys have autismHow we have coped since discovering that ...County Wicklow parents Cian and Yvonne O'Cuanachain had battled for 68 days in the High Court for the State to provide Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) education for their son, Sean, who is autistic. Last week they lost their €2m fight. The courts ruled they had produced insufficient evidence to prove their case, and said they must meet their legal costs. Their's was regarded as a test case, so the verdict spells bad news for thousands of other parents round the country, including Ken and Janice Berry from west Dublin.These people were not claiming that their son deserves a good, suitable education.... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1215332 Thu, 07 Feb 2008 09:22:00 +0100 1215332 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1207498&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F02%2Fsay-it-loud-mmr-is-not-linked-to-autism.html Here's something we knew already, the MMR vaccine doesn't cause autism. It prevents measles, mumps and rubella, which is nice, but it's as likely to cause autism as living in a a house with a south facing garden, i.e. not at all!The latest study, gratifyingly published in the front page of today's Guardian, involved testing the blood of 250 children, all of whom received the MMR, for traces of measles virus. No differences were found between the children diagnosed as autistic and the typically developing children. No signs of bowel disease were discovered either.This will not convince any of the die hard believers, for whom it's a matter of faith to keep deluding themselves that Wakefield cared for the children he scoped, that all the energy and fight they invested into backing up Wakefiel... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1207498 Tue, 05 Feb 2008 10:18:00 +0100 1207498 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1191422&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fdaniel-isnt-talking.html I happened to pick this up in the local library. 'Daniel Isn't Talking' by Marti Leimbach, is a mother's story. It features the typical account of the mum, this time an American in England, sensing something about her child just isn't quite right, followed by the quest to gain a diagnosis and explanation from a cold and unfeeling medical profession. Even worse, her husband and her hostile mother-in-law are adamant there is nothing amiss with the child saying the mum is worrying unnecessarily.So anyway, I'm just going to go ahead and reveal the plot of the book, because to be honest, it's not exactly a page turner, and I wasn't enamoured of the whiny Melanie, nor convinced by the astonishing, no, miraculous intervention of the handsome rascal, Oirish therapist, of whom she has to say, 'He m... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1191422 Thu, 31 Jan 2008 15:35:00 +0100 1191422 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1191423&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fspeed-of-dark.html Last autumn, I read 'The Speed of Dark' by Elizabeth Moon, and just last week, I borrowed 'Daniel Isn't Talking' by Marti Leimbach. Both are works of fiction with an autistic character, but they are very different in style and tone, and I much preferred the former novel.'The Speed of Dark' is set in the near future, and all genetic disorders are prevented or cured in early childhood. (This fictional future is like the realisation of all the fondest dreams of the wealthy organisation, Autism Speaks. Its co-founder Suzanne Wright has said she hopes for a future when autism is merely "a word for the history books."(link: www.autismspeaks.org/sponsoredevents/new_decade_for_autism.php)In a recent interview she said, "we try to stem the tide and ultimately eradicate autism for the sake of future... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1191423 Thu, 31 Jan 2008 12:12:00 +0100 1191423 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1167237&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fautism-speaks-charity-bully-autistic.html I just read this on Abfh.The massive charity, Autism Speaks, was founded just over 2 years ago by Bob Wright (formerly chairman and CEO of NBC Universal) and his wife Suzanne. They have raised and spent millions, with charity walks and huge celebrity-soaked galas; the latter tending to cost more than they raise, but hey, it's all about awareness right(!) Their extravagant use of funds is evident on a 2006 tax return (pdf link). Autism Speaks are proud to have James Watson quoted on their web site saying, “Autism is the worst thing that can happen to a family.”(Link; http://www.autismspeaks.org/inthenews/wrights_cold_spring_harbor.php)I will never understand that.This organisation are also responsible for the infamous 'Autism every day' film, in which a group of mums whine on camera abo... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1167237 Tue, 22 Jan 2008 08:57:00 +0100 1167237 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1158253&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fkatie.html Like many other people who have heard of Katie McCarron, I have been thinking about her and her family often over the past few weeks. Katie was a little autistic girl, whose mother suffocated her with a plastic bag. The jury has just announced their verdict that the murderous mother is guilty. Katie's dad and grandparents and others in her family have spoken of their beloved child with dignity and pride. I hope that they will receive a small measure of comfort from the outcome of this trial.In my previous post I wrote of the Dr Suess book I read to my own autistic son. It contains the lines, 'A wasn't just isn't. He just isn't present. But you...You ARE YOU! And, now isn't that pleasant!'I didn't write it before, but it just made me think of Katie. She wasn't 'a wasn't.' She existed and it... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1158253 Thu, 17 Jan 2008 18:04:00 +0100 1158253 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1094216&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F12%2Fdangers-of-stigmatising-mental-illness.html It's been quite a week.7 days ago, I learned that a very close friend lost a family member in the most shocking and terrible way. I visited their home, and sympathised with them in their grief and pain. The loss is severe, the victim was a wonderful, kind, vibrant and beautiful person who appeared to have been doing really well recently. It has given us all cause to question the current provision of psychiatric services in this province.The following morning, Gordon and I flew out to Malaga in southern Spain for a 3 day holiday, booked months ago for his birthday. We really needed that time together. Both of us were low and worn out by the past few months, and our time away was wonderful and rejuvenating. I was upset to hear when we returned, that Duncan, who with the other children had be... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1094216 Fri, 14 Dec 2007 11:39:00 +0100 1094216 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1055687&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F11%2Funited-nations-and-autism.html How far we still have to go.I just read a press release from the United Nations on a 'World Autism Day Resolution';Member States should break the “barrier of shame” of people suffering from autism and raise international awareness of the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of the brain disorder, which was estimated to affect 35 million people worldwide, Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, Permanent Representative of Qatar to the United Nations, urged this afternoon during a Headquarters press conference.Qatar shares the concerns of a number of countries about the high rate of autism in children in all regions of the world,” Mr. Al-Nasser said.(My emphasis.)Well, I'm not sure what 'barrier of shame' means in this context. Perhaps he is trying to adopt the social model of disability an... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1055687 Wed, 28 Nov 2007 10:25:00 +0100 1055687 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=991878&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F10%2Fthink-differently-about-autism.html The NAS is running a new campaign to highlight the need for support, understanding and accommodations to help autistic people and those caring for autistic people. It aims to raise awareness of the condition and help discard some of the myths and misunderstandings about autism. I'd recommend that everyone who can, has a look at the website, and tells their friends and family about it too. You don't have to be autistic, have an autistic relative or even know someone with autism to want to do a bit to help everyone get fairer treatment and to be enabled to do their best.There's a quiz where you can test your knowledge of autism, and a campaign pack giving more information. Please take the time to have a look and to share the link.Thanks. (Source: The Voyage) The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=991878 Tue, 30 Oct 2007 15:45:00 +0100 991878 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=983240&cid=t_207441_109_f&fid=34699&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FvjmG%2F%7E3%2F175814484%2Fhumans_to_undergo_speciation.php PZ has already written about this, primarily to dismiss it as nonsense.  He is correct, but there is one point (or two) that I want to add. Oliver Curry  is described in WIkipedia as an evolutionary theorist as well as a political theorist.  He was granted a Ph.D., on the topic of morality as natural history,  by the Government Department of the London School of Economics.  Apparently, he is fond of saying that humans will divide into two species, approximately 100,000 years from now. The article PZ cites was in the Daily Mail.  I checked Google News and found that, fortunately, no major credible news outlet has published it.  Well, Fox News did, but they are only a major news outlet.   FOXNEWS.COM HOME > SCIENCE Scientist: Human Race May Spl... The Corpus Callosum blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=983240 Sat, 27 Oct 2007 13:33:08 +0100 983240 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=972775&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F10%2Fnot-so-noble.html So from one Noble, who may have been underestimated due to her model looks, but who has displayed depth of character and intelligence and loving support of her child, I hear all about the Nobel winner, who reveals more of his racist character, his misunderstandings of the concept of intelligence, and who has spoken harshly of his child.James Watson has fled back home after shooting his mouth off just a bit too much. He was hardly a paragon of decency before he made his frankly racist, sexist and disablist statements to the press last week. It's sort of surprising to realise how the Science Museum and other organisations decided not to give him a platform, as if they were unaware of his reputation for thoughtless and inflammatory views. I first read about his warped opinions on Michelle Daw... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=972775 Tue, 23 Oct 2007 22:33:00 +0100 972775 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=972776&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F10%2Ftale-of-two-blonds.html There was actually a pleasant autism story in some of the newspapers yesterday. Emma Noble, talks in the Daily Mail, about her autistic 7 year old son Harry, with love and respect. (Harry is the grandson of former UK PM, John Major.)Emma is a beautiful, blonde haired, former model. There end the comparisons to Jenny McCarthy, who has done the round of USA talk shows plugging her book about her 'recovered' autistic child.McCarthy blames vaccines for her sons autism and uses her celebrity status to spread her misinformed inanities. Here are a few choice quotes from her interview with Larry King. When he asked for a definition of autism, she answered, Wow! Well, it differs for a lot of people. But -- or opinions. But I believe that's -- it's an infection and/or toxins and/or funguses on top o... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=972776 Tue, 23 Oct 2007 10:36:00 +0100 972776 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=915034&cid=t_207441_109_f&fid=34699&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FvjmG%2F%7E3%2F163132238%2Fheavy_hitter_favors_open_acces.php Howard Hughes Medical Institute has announced a policy to promote open-access publication of scientific papers.  They are not only supporting it philosophically, but financially as well.  In fact, they are not only supporting it, but requiring it for their researchers: HHMI Expresses Support for Springer Open Choice September 27, 2007 Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: The Corpus Callosum) The Corpus Callosum blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=915034 Sun, 30 Sep 2007 04:03:26 +0100 915034 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=911924&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F09%2Fdonna-williams-comments.html This study tested the efficacy of a gluten-free and casein-free (GFCF) diet in treating autism using a randomized, double blind repeated measures crossover design. The sample included 15 children aged 2-16 years with autism spectrum disorder. Group data indicated no statistically significant findings.J Dev Behav Pediatr. 2006 Apr;27(2 Suppl):S162-71.The purpose of this review is to examine the available trials of gluten/casein diets in children with ASDs regarding the strength of their findings and also concerning points that may be useful in the design of future studies.Seven trials of these diets in ASD are critically reviewed; 6 of these were uncontrolled trials and 1 used a single-blind design. All reported efficacy in reducing some autism symptoms, and 2 groups of investigators also r... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=911924 Fri, 28 Sep 2007 17:20:00 +0100 911924 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=906118&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F09%2Fp2p-autism-in-northern-ireland.html The Donna Williams Belfast lecture was sponsored by a new Northern Ireland autism group; 'P2P Autism Support Group'. Their logo consists of 3 puzzle pieces, encircled by the words, 'Parent 2 parent working together to support educate advocate'. Their leaflet was handed out to everyone who registered for the lecture. It's second paragraph started with, 'Estimated rates of autism it UK now stand at 1 in 58.'Uh oh. That sounded familiar. After the lecture, I asked some people who were part of the P2P group, where this figure came from, and was told it came from a report by the Children's Commissioner dated March 2007. I mentioned that it was also quoted in the recent (appalling) Observer article. But no, I was assured that the report pre-dated that article and was available on-line if I wante... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=906118 Wed, 26 Sep 2007 16:57:00 +0100 906118 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=845790&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F09%2Fmonster-autism-in-daily-mail-update.html I really should know better than to take an article in the Daily Mail newspaper at face value. When I wrote about a recent diatribe on life with an autistic child, I took it to be the words of the mother whose name was under the headline. It was not. It was a selective adaptation from her book. The author of the book, Jan Greenman, commented on my post. She was polite and was keen to set the record straight about her son. I apologised to her for the absolutely unnecessary personal insult I levelled at her in my original post, when I thought she was the author of the actual newspaper article.Jan wrote in my comments section about the paper's decision to feature her book; I was so excited, assuming that it would be in the form of a book review and give people, as my book does, the truth abou... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=845790 Thu, 06 Sep 2007 07:00:00 +0100 845790 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=797979&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F08%2Fautism-and-thomas-trains.html A few weeks back, the NAS were promoting a small survey they'd commissioned about Thomas the Tank Engine and autism. It was mentioned in the Guardian, and on the NAS site. A PDF of the report is available here.Not surprisingly, given the names on our blog and what any regular reader knows about my son, when I saw the questionnaire on the NAS site and in their newsletter, I decided to respond. I'd imagine many others also took part because their autistic children are so into Thomas, so it's not exactly unbiased!Anyway, it's interesting to read and here are a few quotes from the PDF report.The researchA survey with parents of children with autism under the age of 10 was launched on the NAS’s website in April 2007 with nearly 750 people taking part. Ten telephone and face-to-face interviews... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=797979 Tue, 14 Aug 2007 09:23:00 +0100 797979 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=730372&cid=t_207441_109_f&fid=34699&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscienceblogs.com%2Fcorpuscallosum%2Fimages%2FOpisthorchis_viverrini.jpg One sure sign of acceptance in the mainstream media occurs when a publication gets picked up by Google News (as illustrated in the screen capture image, above). Yesterday, reading the Public Library of Science Medicine journal (PLoS Medicine), I noticed an article linking infestation with liver flukes and the development of cancer of the bile ducts (Liver Fluke Induces Cholangiocarcinoma).   Opisthorchis viverrini I read it because the type of cancer (cholangiocarcinoma) is very rare.  I thought that perhaps the discovery of the association with liver flukes could give us some kind of clue as the the molecular mechanism (pathophysiology) that leads to the cancer. What I learned about the pathophysiology was speculative, so I decide to not blog about it.  But today, I se... The Corpus Callosum blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=730372 Thu, 12 Jul 2007 23:02:13 +0100 730372 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=728421&cid=t_207441_109_f&fid=34699&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.seedmagazine.com%2Fnews%2Fuploads%2Fssp-mooney.jpg This afternoon, I had the pleasure of hearing Amy Goodman interview Chris Mooney about the subject of his new book, Storm World.   It was a segment from Democracy Now!  I won't trouble you with a synopsis, you can watch/hear/read it yourself: Listen to Segment | Download Show mp3       Watch 128k stream | Watch 256k stream  Read Transcript This interview is both a sign that the topic of global warming/climate change is being seriously, and a good example of the resurgence of Pacifica Radio.   Why is it that global warming is being taken more seriously?  Part of it is the efforts of intellectuals such as Al Gore; part the work of reactionaries such as those who organized Live Earth; part the work of prominent scientists such as James Hans... The Corpus Callosum blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=728421 Wed, 11 Jul 2007 21:44:43 +0100 728421 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=721366&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F07%2Fautism-and-mmr-bovine-excrement.html I am riled. Yesterday, I was having a nice morning, espresso and chocolate croissants for breakfast, chatting with Gordon about stuff. He started to read The Observer online and shared the top story with me; New health fears over big surge in autism.I initially wondered what the new 'health fear' was. Had someone identified a link between autism and some illness or other? As we read, it became clear that autism was the health problem.The article subtitle sets the agenda right away;· Experts 'concerned' by dramatic rise· Questions over triple jab for childrenIt was to be an MMR story. I was fully expecting the testimony from the USA vaccine litigation to be revealed, since it's so recent and so relevant. The expert testimony of Dr Stephen Bustin (blogged so well by Autism Diva), destroyed... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=721366 Mon, 09 Jul 2007 09:43:00 +0100 721366 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=660496&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F06%2Fmany-children-came.html I watched a documentary on Monday called 'and many children came' about the local Camphill Community. The film's director wrote about the programme in the Belfast Telegraph; 'Ulster community which truly loves its neighbour'. He says;... it was by accident that I discovered the Camphill Community at Glencraig and found out that nearly 200 people live there on about 100 acres. They have a school and a farm, grow vegetables organically and are more than 60% self sufficient.Glencraig had been set up in 1954 as a place where children with special needs could be educated and looked after. Today, it is a community that has grown to include all ages. I live fairly close to Glencraig, and I knew it contained a school where most of the children were autistic. So 2 years ago, Gordon and I went to lo... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=660496 Wed, 06 Jun 2007 08:03:00 +0100 660496 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=623785&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F05%2Fwhat-is-so-great-about-aba.html I've read in a few places lately about early autism diagnosis and the (debatable) importance of early intervention. There was an interesting discussion on the Autism Parents Forum here. Then there have been some thoughtful blog posts by various people including the always astute Abfh and one by Joey's Mom.As well as that, I've been reading more and more in the Irish media and on Irish blogs, about the campaigning by an Irish ABA lobby group called Irish Autism Action (IAA) and the recent court action by the parents of a 6 yo autistic child, who wanted to force the state to pay for 30 hours/week of ABA therapy. They lost the case but the state have just been ordered to pay them €61,000 in costs, to cover the delay they faced in gaining a diagnosis, and because the boy was denied any servi... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=623785 Fri, 18 May 2007 21:14:00 +0100 623785 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=584381&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F05%2Fblogging-against-disablism.html Today, is Blogging Against Disablism Day, hosted by Diary of Goldfish, in which lots of people;write about disability and rail against the discrimination that disabled people continue to face...from discrimination in education and employment, through health care, parenting, family life and relationships, as well as the interaction of disablism with other forms of prejudice.Like most people, disability issues didn't concern me much before my own disabled son was born. I was aware of the social model versus medical model issue and of the ways language can be used, ie 'wheelchair user' versus 'wheelchair bound' (NO!) but I did still consider people with disabilities to be somehow 'other' to me. And now, I'm not disabled, my child is. But I realise more than ever, that my own situation could c... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=584381 Tue, 01 May 2007 09:58:00 +0100 584381 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=518542&cid=t_207441_109_f&fid=34699&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscienceblogs.com%2Fcorpuscallosum%2Fimages%2Fcover-icon.jpg This is one of the first publications that I subscribed to, after Popular Electronics, and maybe Mad Magazine.  I must confess that I have not renewed the subscription, but from time to time I check their website.   There is a bunch of good skeptical writing in the Blogosphere, but so far nothing matches the quality and expertise you will find in Skeptical Inquirer.  Plus, they have a long and distinguished history, which no blog has.   This issue, they feature a tribute to Carl Sagan.  There is also a good article about the Kitzmiller-Dover case, and a more amusing one about Mysterious Entities of the Pacific Northwest. My favorite is the one about Dover, by Barbara Forrest.  An excerpt: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post...... The Corpus Callosum blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=518542 Tue, 03 Apr 2007 13:49:56 +0100 518542 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=517593&cid=t_207441_109_f&fid=34699&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscienceblogs.com%2Fcorpuscallosum%2Fimages%2FSeed-cover.gif A few days ago, a couple of ScienceBloggers, (Tim Lambert and I) wrote about the startling revelation the the British government's science advisors informed Tony Blair that what he was about to do was going to be a mistake.   The leading UK medical journal, The Lancet, had published a study that showed a estimated 50% increase in mortality risk in the immediate post-invasion period (2003-2004).  That translated into an estimate of 98,000 excess deaths.   Blair's spokesperson made a public announcement that the study "was not one we believe to be anywhere near accurate". Today, Tim posted on his blog, Deltoid, a summary of reactions to that, now that we know his own advisors advised him against trashing the study, and he trashed it anyway. I don't have much to add, but I ... The Corpus Callosum blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=517593 Tue, 03 Apr 2007 03:09:12 +0100 517593 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=504545&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F03%2Fnew-autism-parents-forum.html There's a great new forum especially for the parents of autsitic people. It's been set up by Kevin Leitch, grand-blogger and owner of the Autism Hub site.This forum will focus on ways to help our children, without getting bogged down in talk of 'cure' and 'recovery'. Anyone interested in respectful dialogue, without the quackery common to many other similar sites, will certainly be welcomed there.autism northern ireland (Source: The Voyage) The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=504545 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 12:40:00 +0100 504545 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=488266&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F03%2Fthat-questionnaire-again.html I wrote a few days ago about the questionnaire I received asking about the impact of autism on my family and my health and stress levels, and also about the impact (benefit) the NAS befriending service is having.I've since spoken to the NAS employee who organised the study. She's hoping they will be able to show that there is a real need for these services, and totally agrees that we have a responsibility not to misrepresent autism. I also had a prompt e-mail response from the research team at Queen's University, and have had permission to quote from it.The inference that by asking about “need” across a range of dimensions we were suggesting that all families of children with autism have a wholly negative experience was certainly not intended. As you will have seen, all questions (abou... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=488266 Sat, 03 Mar 2007 14:41:00 +0100 488266 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=488282&cid=t_207441_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2006%2F06%2Fwoes-and-cavies.html Earlier in the week, I read on Action for Autism about an appalling article describing antenatal screening for autism. A UCL geneticist is applying to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, to use pre-implantation genetic diagnosis to screen out male embryos, as there are thought to be 4 times more autistic males than autistic females. She wants to offer this highly invasive and very novel screening to families where autism had 'inflicted severe suffering'.This is horrible is so many ways; autism isn't an illness, there is no way of knowing how any child will develop and anyway, you do get autistic women you know.I looked at the comments on the Daily (hate) Mail site on this topic and was distressed at the horrible things people had written. I should know better than to read tha... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=488282 Thu, 22 Jun 2006 13:17:00 +0100 488282