Autism and Vaccines: I Just Can't Worry About This
Kathy is the parent of a son with autism, and one of WebMD's Community team members. Today, she is speaking solely as a parent living with autism in her family.
My days of panic and worry about autism and vaccines are long over.My son is nearly 13 and has lived with autism, well, all his life. I don't know what caused his brain to be different. Sure, I have theories, just like any parents, doctors, and health professionals who live with autism.
I also know that there's a large group of folks who think that preservatives, once but no longer in childhood vaccines, caused their children to develop this disability.
But I just don't know that. And until someone tells me that in absolute certainty, I'd give the shots to him again in a minute.
Not the popular theory right now, huh? Especially in light of recent news.
There's a fear train that I think all parents ride soon after you suspect autism or just days after diagnosis. And, like many passengers, in my early parenting days, I took that lamenting ride, crying that maybe the vaccines I thought would save my son from disease actually caused his disability.
But no one could tell me that for sure. In fact, with autism, no one can tell me anything for sure. What causes it? What exactly will help? How do I know he will be okay? What happens after I die? Why did this happen to us?
All I know of parenting is autism and how to live with it. And one other thing: autism theories change everyday. On any given day I can look to my inbox and find any number of studies, blog entries, and newsletters all touting they know exactly how to fix my kid, what caused his autism, and how it happened.
But they don't.
What do we know? That childhood immunizations and vaccines save lives. They prevent the kinds of diseases that killed my great-grandmother's only baby son.
I respect those parents in autism, like me, searching for clues as why this thing has entered their lives and who truly believe these shots are what caused their child's disability. I admire their courage to speak out, fight, and seek justice.
I just hope they find more answers to share with us all along the way.
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1 Comments:
Has anyone been to the Weston A. Price foundation website? I read some really interesting things there regarding theories on autistic brains and processed milk. I have since, with months of searching found a source of fresh, clean, raw milk. My son, who suffers with autism, my mother and me, have all begun to drink a glass of raw milk 3 times per day. The results so far are quite promising. My son has since come down on his Strattera daily dosing from 60mg. to 25mg. and is doing better in school. I have also begun him on 18mg. iron suppliment daily. Someone should do a study on this. I wish I had the time to apply for an AHI grant...but...being a single mom, trying to raise an autistic 11 year old...I just cant find the time.
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