A Positive Association found between Autism Prevalence & Childhood Vaccination uptake

[Sopdet]

from: A Positive Association found between Autism Prevalence and Childhood Vaccination uptake across the U.S. Population
Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part A: Current Issues
Volume 74, Issue 14, 2011, Pages 903 - 916

Abstract
The reason for the rapid rise of autism in the United States that began in the 1990s is a mystery. Although individuals probably have a genetic predisposition to develop autism, researchers suspect that one or more environmental triggers are also needed. One of those triggers might be the battery of vaccinations that young children receive. Using regression analysis and controlling for family income and ethnicity, the relationship between the proportion of children who received the recommended vaccines by age 2 years and the prevalence of autism (AUT) or speech or language impairment (SLI) in each U.S. state from 2001 and 2007 was determined. A positive and statistically significant relationship was found: The higher the proportion of children receiving recommended vaccinations, the higher was the prevalence of AUT or SLI. A 1% increase in vaccination was associated with an additional 680 children having AUT or SLI. Neither parental behavior nor access to care affected the results, since vaccination proportions were not significantly related (statistically) to any other disability or to the number of pediatricians in a U.S. state. The results suggest that although mercury has been removed from many vaccines, other culprits may link vaccines to autism. Further study into the relationship between vaccines and autism is warranted.

The abstract is only avail online (which I've quoted above). I'm going to see if Uni has access to the journal so I can read the whole article. But it is interesting that they're starting to look at it, and have agreed that further study into this is warranted.


A Positive Association found between Autism Prevalence and Childhood Vaccination uptake across the U.S. Population - Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part A: Current Issues

[*Ash*]

Very interesting. Thanks for posting the abstract.
Please let me know what you find out if you do read the whole article.

[RockinSAHD]

Thanks for the abstract Sopdet, I didn't have access to that paper at my uni, did you?

I would like to read it too, I have reservations about many of the statements made in the abstract, especially in light of studies like the ones in this article:

For the First Time, a Census of Autistic Adults - TIME

[krysalyss]

Rocking - I have it. PM me and I can send it. I thought it was well written if a bit descriptive and it clearly outlines what the limitations of the study are.

[RockinSAHD]

Meh, I don't know.

The study seems to say that there are too many questions and problems with the study but that its only as bad as all the previous research, what I did really like is that there's a nice summary in the discussion of a lot of previous research.

I don't see a 1% rise with 1% more vaccines as significant, especially considering the limitations of autism diagnosis and the methods used in the study and it seems as though neither do the authors. Another large consideration that wasn't talked about was the reasons why the children were vaccinated differently.

[krysalyss]

i see it as a good introductory study to point the direction into more research. It was a 1.7% rise in autism with 1% rise in vaccination. And it was statistically significant. Her description of limitations of previous studies was also interesting.

[RockinSAHD]

Is 1.7% significant when diagnosis on the spectrum is so subjective? How could they track variations in diagnosis? Did you read my link above?

[RockinSAHD]

What if cultural factors that caused higher vaccine rates caused doctors to be 1.7% more likely to diagnose autism or parents 1.7% more likely to seek assistance?

[krysalyss]

She addresses that in the paper. I am running out the door but just quickly she looked at correlations which vaccine use and other illnesses to try and determine if is more of a reporting incidence that increases, but there seemed to be no relationship.

[RockinSAHD]

She addresses that in the paper. I am running out the door but just quickly she looked at correlations which vaccine use and other illnesses to try and determine if is more of a reporting incidence that increases, but there seemed to be no relationship.

I read that too Krysalyss but the list of other illnesses makes it complicated, I agree that something like vision imparement is on a spectrum too but on that list autism seems pretty distinct culturally and medically...

[Yeddi]

Is 1.7% significant when diagnosis on the spectrum is so subjective? How could they track variations in diagnosis? Did you read my link above?

Actually it's not as subjective as you may think. There have been a number of studies that have found that the same people will be diagnosed as having a PPD by multiple professionals. I.E. There was one study where they got 15 professionals to assess 200 people, ten of which has an ASD. All of the 15 professionals independently identified the exact same ten people as having ASD. What was subjective, however, was where on the spectrum these people with ASD were - as in whether they were given an Autism, Aspergers or PPD-NOS diagnosis varied by 40%. The point is however, they were all identified as having ASD, it was simply which stroke of the same brush they were painted with. And soon this subjectivity in what specific label to give within the spectrum will be closed up. As of July asperger's and PPD-NOS will no longer exist, they will all simply be ASD. I think this is great, as it will solve a lot of the misconceptions that are out there by those without much understanding of the nuances of ASD's, particularly with when it comes to girls who are often put into a PPD-NOS or asperger's box because they don't fit the male-based diagnostic criteria of typical autism, although they have exactly the same issues, they just show them in a different way, or can hide them better.

[RockinSAHD]

As of July asperger's and PPD-NOS will no longer exist,

Thats really interesting, I know that there was some controversy over some PPD's vs autism diagnosis. It will make things clearer but do you think the causes like will be the same for the new diagnosis of autism? (considering the article on autism you posted which said they thought they were close to finding a specific cause for autism)