 SafeMinds Founder Lyn Redwood Named Spectrum Magazine's Person of the Year
Lyn Redwood, RN, MSN, NP, sits at her desk in her rural Georgia home. She is surrounded by pictures. There are pictures of her three children and children of her fellow "mercury moms." They are the faces of the children whose lives she has helped improve. The pictures are there to keep her motivated, a constant reminder of what she's working for.
There's something else Redwood keeps in her office: a rejection letter. Several years ago Redwood began writing a book, Mercury Rising: The Untold Story Behind America's Epidemic of Learning Disabilities and Autism, and shopped it around at publishing houses. No one wanted it. The rejection letter from Simon and Schuster, framed and hanging on Redwood's office wall, says that the subject matter is so upsetting they doubted that parents would want to buy a book as alarming as this one.
Luckily for the autism community, rejection does not scare Redwood. During the last 10 years of advocacy, she has had to become accustomed to it. She has even found a way to thrive on it, out of necessity and perhaps self-preservation. She and other autism parents have been waging a monumental battle for the lives of their children for over a decade. And they have certainly not gotten the results they thought they would when they started out. Read more.
Subscribe to Spectrum Magazine today in honor of Lyn Redwood being named person of the year and SafeMinds will receive a donation of $15 for each one year subscription and $27 for each two-year subscription. This is a great way for you to support SafeMinds and subscribe to a great publication. Click here to subscribe and enter SafeLyn10 under coupon code to ensure SafeMinds receives the donation.
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| GMC Rules Against Wakefield et al., Yet Medical Establishment Agrees Further Study of GI Disease in Children with Autism Is Top Priority
SafeMinds Press Release - January 27, 2010
Today the General Medical Council (GMC), the regulatory body for doctors in
the UK, made findings of fact in connection to a complaint filed by journalist Brian Deer. The complaint alleged conflicts of interest and unethical research against Dr. Andrew Wakefield, Dr. John Walker-Smith and Dr. Simon Murch relating to their 1998 case series published in the Lancet.
As a result of these findings, the GMC will now determine the severity and appropriate sanctions, which could go so far as the loss of their licenses to practice medicine.
SafeMinds is very disappointed by the GMC's findings The false testimony and the ensuing GMC FTP hearing
have had the effect of delaying necessary research into cause and treatment for autism, and dissuading
scientists from pursuing research relating to vaccines as a cause of chronic disease.
In the Lancet paper Wakefield et al reported a novel inflammatory bowel disease in 12 children with
developmental regression (autism) and expressly stated that "We did not prove an association between
measles mumps and rubella vaccine and the syndrome described." The conclusion drawn by the case series
was that, "Further investigations are needed to examine this syndrome and its possible relation to the vaccine."
The study's conclusion and call for additional research is often incorrectly misinterpreted as a call to
discontinue immunization against measles, mumps and rubella.
It is widely known that many children with autism suffer from gastrointestinal disease and requires further
scientific investigation and treatment. This field of research is in fact identified as a short term research priority in the Strategic Plan for Autism Spectrum Disorder Research issued by U.S. Department of Health & Human
Services Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC). Additionally, the following organizations and
agencies have also clearly stated the need for research related to the potential relationship between
gastrointestinal disease and autism.
- The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) - Evaluation, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Disorders in Individuals With ASDs: A Consensus Report states "The evidence for abnormal gastrointestinal permeability in individuals with ASDs is limited. Prospective studies should be performed to determine the role of abnormal permeability in neuropsychiatric manifestations of ASDs." (Statement 5).
- AAP also says in their Recommendations for Evaluation and Treatment of Common Gastrointestinal Problems in Children With ASDs that "Well-designed trials are needed to develop an evidence base for optimal diagnostic and treatment strategies to manage gastrointestinal disorders in children with ASDs."
- The Center for Disease Control's (CDC) National CADDRE Study: Child Development and Autism states that, "A number of factors will be studied for their potential link with ASDs. These factors were picked after an in-depth look at existing studies...These factors include...Gastrointestinal features: The study will follow up on reports that children with autism have abnormal gastrointestinal function, and whether it might be related to the causes of autism."
Scores of parents have reported, including from the original group of 12, that Dr. Wakefield's work has brought
great relief to their children when no other doctor was willing to take their medical condition seriously. While
controversy will continue to rage regarding Dr. Wakefield and the MMR vaccine, his key point and interest has
been validated time and again; many children with autism are experiencing great suffering due to co-existing
gastrointestinal disease and further research is urgently needed to identify the cause and most effective
treatments. SafeMinds supports these concerns and calls for additional research into gastrointestinal disease
in individuals with autism.
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HBO Premieres "Temple Grandin" staring Claire Danes on February 6
On Saturday, February 6, HBO will premiere the movie "Temple
Grandin" staring Claire Danes. Dr.
Temple Grandin has a Ph.D. in Animal Science and is known her revolutionary designs in livestock-handling
equipment and systems and advocacy for humane treatment of livestock. She is also a well known best-selling author
on autism, as well as an adult with autism.
Her life story and accomplishments are an excellent example of
the successes a person with autism can achieve through their unique way of
experiencing the world; in her case as a visual thinker. In a recent
conversation with SafeMinds President, Theresa Wrangham, Dr. Grandin shared
that she feels her success was largely due to focusing on her strengths and in
doing so developing those strengths to drive a career path. She also felt that opportunities to enhance
social skills could be found in activities with groups who share a common
interest. Grandin finished by sharing that identifying mentors, such as
teachers, had also played an important role in her own life. She says she hopes
the movie will impress upon its viewers that some of these key points can help
others with autism develop a strategy to recognize and build upon their personal
strengths.
We hope that you will tune in on February 6 and let Dr. Grandin
inspire and impress you with her life story.
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SafeMinds Needs You - Be an Online Auction Team Captain
 SafeMinds recently held a successful online auction that was a great way to pass on good deals to the community and gather donations for our cause. We are doing it again this summer and want to make it bigger and better. We need SafeMinds online auction team captains to help get donated items all over the country. We will give you all the tools you need and this is something that can be done easily without taking too much of your time. If you are interested please contact us here.
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 Top Ten Sources of Mercury You Can Do Something About - #7 Thermometers and Thermostats
By Katie Weisman for the SafeMinds Environmental Committee
Of all the possible exposures to mercury you may have in everyday life, the
mercury found in thermometers and thermostats is among the easiest to avoid.
Good alternatives to these products are widely available and government programs
to replace them with safer products are well-established. This article will
provide background information on the products and give you the information you
need to eliminate these potential exposures in your home and workplace. Read more. Click here to see this entire series of articles. |
All Babies Wanna Be Mercury Free!
 A great gift for the expectant mother or new baby in your life. Click here to order.
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