posted
Today's news carried the story that the occurrence of autism is now about 1 in every 150 births. Previously it was estimated at 1 in every 165 births.
CDC finds this alarming and points to the fact that the cause must be found.
The statistics were extrapolated from a survey of autism in 8 year olds in 14 states. The state with the highest rate was NJ which has also seen a hike in the number of lyme cases.
In the latest Public Alert there is an interesting article about a possible connection between lyme and autism. Dr. Fallon discovered a high rate of autistic children tested positive for lyme, and this article starts out saying that 90% of autistic children test positive.
Sounds like there could be a connection. It will be interesting to see what they come up with.
I tried to access Public Alert but could not. The article is in the latest issue. www.PublicAlert.org
-------------------- nan Posts: 2135 | From Tick Country | Registered: Oct 2000
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posted
I don't think Dr. Fallon has said a high rate...
He has said some cases. Which is probably true. Think there may be more than one road to this destination.
Posts: 8430 | From Not available | Registered: Oct 2000
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SForsgren
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7686
posted
The site is http://www.publichealthalert. There is also www.lymeinducedautism which just had a think tank and I believe Warren Levine said 10 of 10 autistic kids tested positive for Bb. I also know that Dr. K sees it quite often as well. Maybe this will be the only way that someone will pay attention to us is if it is identified as a cause of Autism (apparently a real disease unlike chronic Lyme)....
-------------------- Be well, Scott Posts: 4617 | From San Jose, CA | Registered: Jul 2005
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Is There a Connection Between Lyme Disease and Autism?
Recent articles in the media suggest that there may be a connection between Lyme Disease and autism. Lyme disease, which is caused by tick bites, does indeed manifest itself with symptoms that, in some cases, are similar to those of autism.
In addition, Lyme disease can lower the immune threshold, making bodies more susceptible to immune system insults (a possible cause of autism)Lyme disease is treated with antibiotics.
If indeed it were the case that at least some cases of autism are triggered by Lyme disease, then perhaps these cases of autism could be treated. This would, of course, be an enormous benefit to the autism community.
How likely is it that Lyme disease may cause some cases of autism? While an organization called Lyme Induced Autism suggests that it's very likely, no serious research has been conducted to date. The group has been raising money to conduct research, and is hoping to find the proof they seek.
Meanwhile, Columbia University researcher Brian A. Fallon is now in the process of conducting an epidemiological study which compares rates of Lyme disease to rates of autism. If that study suggests a connection, then further research may be warranted.
Given the extremely preliminary nature of this idea, it's interesting to compare the views of the two organizations involved in research. The press release from the Lyme Induced Autism Foundation states:
New reports indicate up to 90% of children with autism are infected with Lyme disease. With autism at a staggering 1 out of 166 children, parents are questioning this new finding.
Meanwhile, however, Columbia University's research description states: In our work with children who have developed Lyme disease, we have encountered a few children who had developed autistic-like disorders which were eventually also diagnosed as having Lyme Disease due to other concomitant symptoms; when the child received intensive antibiotic therapy, the autistic syndromes dramatically improved and, in some cases, resolved.
We hypothesize: a) that a small subpopulation of children with autism in Lyme endemic areas may have an antibiotic responsive disorder due to a spirochete-induced autistic syndrome...
Obviously, these two perspectives are very much at odds. Given that no true research has taken place to date, it's hard to know where the "new reports" cited in the press release could be coming from. In short, it looks to me like yet another opportunity for the media to get very excited about very little.
Until an epidemiological study shows a probable connection between Lyme and autism, and until double-blind, placebo-based studies actually show that antibiotics can improve autistic symptoms -- I'd recommend that parents sit tight.
Meanwhile, however, it's a great idea to protect yourself and your children from Lyme disease, which does indeed have the potential to cause serious harm.
Wednesday January 10, 2007 | comments (3)
-------------------- nan Posts: 2135 | From Tick Country | Registered: Oct 2000
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I'm convinced that Lyme can play a role in autism but I don't know if you can say that ALL autism is caused by Lyme. There are different forms of it and kids are reacting differently to treatments.
My friend with Lyme infected her son in utero. He got tested positive for Lyme at age 1. But he was developping normally until at age 2 when he got this tripple vaccine. Then his problems started. He forgot all that he had learned until then and showed clear autistic behaviour. Playing all day with the door only, not talking, not understanding, not noticing what was going on around him. Having fits of rage often (recently he was also diagnosed with Bartonella - which doesn't mean abx treatment in this country).
As nobody wanted to treat him with abx his mother found a doctor who has an autistic son himself and who is now specialized in treating autistic kids. This doc says that practically all autistic kids have leaky gut and immunological problems.
My friend's son is now in treatment since 1,5 years: gluten- and casein-free diet, healing leaky gut, Nystatin and lots of supplements. With these measures alone he improved a lot already but since 6 months he is getting heavy metal chelation therapy with DMSA and since then the kid is making tremendous progress.
He is now 4 years old and if it's going on like that his doc is confident that he will be able to go to a normal school when he will be 6 or 7.
Gabrielle
Posts: 767 | From Germany | Registered: Feb 2004
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posted
Dr. L was at our support group yesterday, talking a little about this. He has seen many more Autistic kids with Lyme since the study. He is a very kind and intelligent man.
If my daughters test positive for Lyme, I may take them to see him as he is much closer than my LLMD. He does alternative medicine and antibiotics. Cindy
-------------------- Cindy Posts: 227 | From VA | Registered: Sep 2005
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Geneal
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 10375
posted
I've worked with many children dx with Autism or Pervasive Developmental Disorder.
I've noticed an increase in the number of children with autistic like characteristics.
I know there is a lot of info. that suggests that high levels of yeast may be a contributing factor for autism.
It brings to mind one family I worked with. Mom had 5 children. With the exception of the first child, all began to show autistic like characteristics within the first couple of years of life.
She was pregnant with 5th child when I doing speech therapy with one of her younger children.
Terrible pregnancy. Couldn't keep anything down. Had to be hospitalized several times, etc.
I recently heard that the baby also had autistic like behavior as well.
Mom was a RN. Believed immunizations caused her children's problems. She refused immunizations for last two children.
It really makes me wonder if Mom had Lyme disease now and was passing it to her children in utero.
Statistically speaking, it would be impossible for her to have 4 autistic children in a row.
Things that make you go "hmmmmmmmmm".
Very interesting especially with the yeast connection as well.
When some autistic children are put on a yeast free diet, some of their behaviors have been known to disappear.
Geneal
Posts: 6250 | From Louisiana | Registered: Oct 2006
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treepatrol
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
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posted
Thinking out loud.
Autisim may be second or third generation lyme disease in some cases or just inefected DNA ? As in MS,Lupus. Ive been thinking that maybe certain strains are passed or maybe just there dna mixed in our own DNA from damage say in a grandfathers dna gets damaged from lyme he has children and the wife is clean no lyme the childrens children have say ms or lupus,or autisim, this damaged dna is passed through and maybe this could cause these syndroms or autisim?? Then of coarse theres just plain infected with lyme.
-------------------- Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Remember Iam not a Doctor Just someone struggling like you with Tick Borne Diseases.
Aniek
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5374
posted
Cindy - Can you take out the doctor's name, replace with Dr. L?
I'm pretty sure there are increasing rates of autism in Israel, where Lyme is not nearly as prevalent. My guess is that Lyme is one cause of autism, or can cause a very similar set of symptoms that get diagnosed as autism.
But I don't think we will find Lyme is the only answer.
-------------------- "When there is pain, there are no words." - Toni Morrison Posts: 4711 | From Washington, DC | Registered: Mar 2004
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Jellybelly
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Member # 7142
posted
This is about Igenex . Just saw my eye doctor a few days ago. She has a son with autism, and was aware that Lyme is a big topic of conversation in the autism community.
Since learning that I have Lyme in the last few months it has really peaked her interest. Her sons naturopath is taking part in a study with Igenex . Igenex is accumulating data on the incidence of Lyme in autism. Her son is now being tested for Lyme.
Posts: 1251 | From california | Registered: Apr 2005
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posted
There just maybe a link between Lyme and Autism. In 1980 you had a 1:10000 of having an autistic child. In 2006 the number is about 1:165. What has changed since then? People can argue vaccinations because in 1980 the average child was given a total of 8 vaccines through childhood. Nowadays it is upwards of almost 30 vaccines. Before the 80's the autistic ratio was consistent. Since the 80's it has risen dramatically.
I remember a study on Autism and half of the control group didn't receive any vaccinations and the other half did, but the incidence of Autism was about equal in the two groups. If it is not vaccinations what else became a problem in the late 70's and early 80's? Maybe Lyme escaping from Plum Island? Food for thought.
Posts: 649 | From United States | Registered: Dec 2003
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CaliforniaLyme
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posted
Locally there was an article in our local stupid paper that we have an autism cluster in Aptos where I live which is also where we have a Lyme clsuter and the highest rate of infection in ticks of all of CALIFORNIA!!! I wrote stupid paper (Sentinel) a letter, never got published. Sentinel is anti-Lyme. ANYWAYS, it was SO SAD reading that!!!!!! My daughter had autistic presentation with Lyme!!!! Headbanged and stared face down at carpet *at age 2) for HOURS with wide open eyes completely silent not moving staring at carpet!!! AGH!!! And regressed completely, stopped talking, etc. Put her on Cedax, within a week and a half, "Mama I rememebr my ABCs again!!!"- and she sang them to me!!!
-------------------- There is no wealth but life. -John Ruskin
All truth goes through 3 stages: first it is ridiculed: then it is violently opposed: finally it is accepted as self evident. - Schopenhauer Posts: 5639 | From Aptos CA USA | Registered: Apr 2005
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northstar
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posted
The new study on increasing autism rates, showed New Jersey having one of the highest rates. (dont have exact list; that was the wording in the article I read) Northstar
Posts: 1331 | From hither and yonder | Registered: Sep 2005
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posted
I have TWO friends with autistic children who were normal til given vaccines at about 18 mos. The childrenwere never the same and spiralled downhill .
THIS IS COMMON . I think vaccines are often the problem, and there has been a big cover up which RFK Jr tried to expose .
I am leary now about most vaccines . They do contain questionable preservatives .
posted
It's not necessarily only the preservatives in the vaccines.
A naturopathic doc told me last week that kids with Autism all have an immunological problem.
My theory is that the immune system of a kid who already has an infection (like Lyme) just cannot support dealing with more pathogens from the vaccines, especially when it's a triple vaccine.
Posts: 767 | From Germany | Registered: Feb 2004
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posted
Reposting CaliforniaLyme's earlier post. Given the response to abx and the geography of both lyme and autism there does appear to be a link.
Note the phrase Short-term improvement. Imho abx alone are not the answer against this borrelia epidemic and the symptoms they cause. MS,ALS,Alzheimers, etc and perhaps now we add autism to this ever growing list. Thank God our available arsenal is much more than than just abx.
Subject: 2000: oral vancomycin treatment of regressive-onset autism - improvement in 8 of 10 children studied
1: J Child Neurol. 2000 Jul;15(7):429-35.
Comment in: J Child Neurol. 2001 May;16(5):387.
Short-term benefit from oral vancomycin treatment of regressive-onset autism.
Sandler RH, Finegold SM, Bolte ER, Buchanan CP, Maxwell AP, Vaisanen ML, Nelson MN, Wexler HM.
Section of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Rush Children's Hospital, Rush Medical College, Chicago, IL 60612, USA. [email protected]
In most cases symptoms of autism begin in early infancy. However, a subset of children appears to develop normally until a clear deterioration is observed. Many parents of children with "regressive"-onset autism have noted antecedent antibiotic exposure followed by chronic diarrhea. We speculated that, in a subgroup of children, disruption of indigenous gut flora might promote colonization by one or more neurotoxin-producing bacteria, contributing, at least in part, to their autistic symptomatology.
To help test this hypothesis, 11 children with regressive-onset autism were recruited for an intervention trial using a minimally absorbed oral antibiotic. Entry criteria included antecedent broad-spectrum antimicrobial exposure followed by chronic persistent diarrhea, deterioration of previously acquired skills, and then autistic features.
Short-term improvement was noted using multiple pre- and post-therapy evaluations. These included coded, paired videotapes scored by a clinical psychologist blinded to treatment status; these noted improvement in 8 of 10 children studied.
Unfortunately, these gains had largely waned at follow-up. Although the protocol used is not suggested as useful therapy, these results indicate that a possible gut flora-brain connection warrants further investigation, as it might lead to greater pathophysiologic insight and meaningful prevention or treatment in a subset of children with autism.
Publication Types: Case Reports
PMID: 10921511 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Posts: 731 | From Humble,TX | Registered: Feb 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Gabrielle: My theory is that the immune system of a kid who already has an infection (like Lyme) just cannot support dealing with more pathogens from the vaccines, especially when it's a triple vaccine.
Darn good theory. We know people doing chemotherapy should never get live vaccines. We also know borrelia infection surpresses the immune system.
Posts: 731 | From Humble,TX | Registered: Feb 2005
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posted
From the government's point of view autism is already unpopular, made more unpopular by the possible link to vaccines, now add a million times more unpopular Lyme disease as another possible cause and what do you get?
Posts: 422 | From Luck home | Registered: Sep 2005
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