March 31, 2014

Autism continues to dominate the recent news. 

First - the CDC now cites the statistic that autism affects 1 in 68 live births in the United States. Males continue to dominate at a rate of 1 in 45, a full 4.5 times more than girls. These stats continue to rise and alarm. 

Second - a new study looks to put a nail in the coffin of the vaccine induced Autistic disease camp. There have been many studies looking at the causes of autism. None that are reputable point to vaccines as the main cause. 

Drs. Stoner and Courchesne at the University of California San Diego have produced a stunning paper on the disorganization of the autistic brain. Published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine, this study suggests that the abnormal brain function of autistic children begins in the first four months after conception long before a vaccine is ever given to a newborn after birth. 

They performed an analysis of the brain tissue of deceased autistic children and found abnormal brain cells, neurons, in patches. These patches are in areas of the brain that are responsible for social, emotional, communication and language functions. These disorganized cells are produced early in utero.

Coupled with Dr. Mumper's recent study, it is time to go after prenatal triggers for neurobehavioral disease. Mumper's work can be found in Newsletter: Volume 3, #36.

My belief regarding autism's etiology is getting stronger by the year. Maternal exposures to environmental toxins with the right genetic makeup is the likely scenario that is behind the autism epidemic. We need a comprehensive approach toward pregnancy and safety.

1) Avoid all chemicals and medicines while planning to conceive and during the entire pregnancy.

2) Eat organic, healthy whole foods. 

3) Avoid stress where possible.

4) Take prenatal vitamins and probiotics.

5) Maybe even go as far as to get filtered water in your house. 

Now, I realize that this is still unproven, but all of these options have no downside. The upside is potentially life changing for a family.

Dr. M

Top 10 things a mother can do to keep her baby healthy during the first year of life?

1) BREASTFEED - this could be 1-10! It is also important for a mother to eat very healthy and avoid medicines so that her milk is loaded with good stuff and not chemicals.

2) Take vitamin D as directed during the winter months. Get adequate sun exposure during the spring and summer months while avoiding sunburns.

3) Start whole organic food at 6 months of age and progress through all major food types by a year of age. Make sure to keep foods at a size that is not a choking hazard.

4) Avoid chemicals that are used as cleaning agents. Infants are always licking things, so avoiding chemicals reduces their exposure. Use vinegar and water as a cleaning agent.

5) Learn about chemicals that are estrogen analogues and avoid them. The poster child chemical is BPA. See EWG.org for information. Using glass bottles and cups that are wrapped in rubber for safety is a good compromise. 

6) Use probiotics as directed by your provider for gut health.

7) Assure that the infant gets adequate restful sleep that is not interrupted by negative arguing or family discord. Data has shown the negative effects of this type of exposure.

8) Make sure that your infant gets adequate dietary iron after 6 months of age. Here are some sources of dietary iron. A low blood iron level is associated with decreased intellectual function and sleep issues. This is a major concern for humans in general. 

9) Avoid flour and refined sugar foods.

10) Avoid all processed food. These foods at present appears to be a major human scourge. 

In response to an email question regarding the safety of certain medicines during pregnancy, I give this advice:

1) During the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, the risk is the highest for drug induced damage to fetal cells. Therefore, avoid all medicines during this time. Thereafter, check appropriate websites for information on safety of certain medicines and supplements while pregnant or call your doctor. As always, when you need to use medicines or supplements, use them in the lowest dose and least frequency possible. 

Try:

Meds and Women

or

Dr Low Dog

or

Women's Health 

My thoughts,

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