What causes autism? - Page 3

[JaneS]

Originally Posted by buff

oh god its scary MT. I can only hope and pray my ds will be ok - he seems to be developing normally, thank God, but this doesn't fill me with confidence.

I could have written this exactly about my DS. I have heard of kids who develop autism "late" due to an insult that tips the balance.

[JaneS]

Originally Posted by Momtezuma Tuatara

3) How much you you understand about the impact of minerals on the immune system pre-pregnancy and in utero?

4) How does the gut change during pregnancy, and why?

I need help on where to find answers to these... please?

[PGTlatte]

I just finished reading Children With Starving Brains: A Medical Treatment Guide for Autism Spectrum Disorder by Jaquelyn McCandless MD. It's a great overview of the DAN! approach and their models for how autism can occur. I recommend this book to anyone wondering what causes autism. I don't think there is any one thing that causes it. It is a complex combination of medical problems that interact with each other. Digestion, the immune system, and toxicity are all part of it.

[LongIsland]

Originally Posted by JaneS

LI, Your son's symptoms went away on a GFCF diet only?

In addition to dietary intervention, we used supplements and digestive enzymes by a company called Kirkman (kirkmanlabs.com). Kirkman and Houston are the two big companies that parents of children on the spectrum use, including ADD/ADHD, tourettes and other disorders.

We noticed immediate changes from just the diet alone before we even started using the supplements. My son went through the typical "withdrawal" when he went on the diet, which lasted a little over a week. We started the supplements and enzymes soon after.

I do want to point out that what I mentioned above was only part of his progress. A very big part, but these factors also played a role:

*Early Intervention services beginning at the age of two
*Enrollment in a full time, 5-day a week special education preschool from age three through five, including full time, five days a week in the summers.
*One-on-one aide
*Autism Consultant
*Behavioral intervention plan
*Speech therapy
*Occupational therapy
*Inclusion program beginning in kindergarten (our school's inclusion classes are a regular classroom setting (the typical 22-24 children) w/ no more than three special needs children in a class and co-taught by a special education teacher) This inclusion program has benefitted not only the three special needs children, but the entire class because there is so much support in the classroom.

[Bestbirths]

Wow!! lots of great info here.

[Aquaduct]

Thought I'd add my 2 cents worth.

Totally agree with MTs position on autistic spectrum disorders: there is a wide base of causes, mutually reinforcing, and often an insult to the immune-system like a vaccine will be the drop that spills the cup....will result in autism.

There is genetic susceptibility, but the real triggers are environmental ie. chemical pollution, the birth control pill, antibiotic use, mercury from fillings and vaccines, MMR vaccine, junk food diets, brain fevers caused by vaccine induced encephalitis etc. I think there is a lot of evidence that genes in our bodies can be modified by environmental factors generationally, which would mean the susceptibilities inborn will be worsening as time goes by.

If there was a map on how autism gets induced all these factors would have to be taken into account going back several generations. The vaccination history of the mother, along with her allergy status, her mineral stores, apo-e genotype ratio etc. , along with the father's would be of significance in detecting the cause of autism in the child.

This would explain how there are autistic children who have never had a vaccine, who may never have come into contact with mercury (although that would be highly unlikely).

[chasmyn]

This is a wonderful discussion. I don't have anything to add, having not done nearly the research that some of you Mamas have, but I wanted to subscribe. :

[Tracy]

Bumping for MT.

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

Oh right. What did you want me to do on here Tracy?

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

Originally Posted by JaneS

I need help on where to find answers to these... please?

Oh okay. Sorry, I forgot.

I need to go and see if I can find you on-line links, which will make it easier...

Be back soon.

[JaneS]

I just came here to post the following and got a nice surprise... thank you!!

What caused the immune injury or alterations? A genetic weakness (C4B null allele) and/or redisposition, combined with one or more of the following:

1) Shortened or absent breast-feeding preventing the full development of transferred cellular immunity. (Fudenberg)

2) Early gluten (usually wheat) introduction prior to one year of age. Wheat has been genetically manipulated in the last 100 years to increase the gluten content.

3) Early use of cow's milk or casein based formulas. (Allergenic and altered)

4) Immunizations with live viruses, especially the MMR after 1978. There is frequent regression after the MMR vaccine that has been observed and published (Wakefield). Other vaccinations and the resulting effects on interleukin or autoimmunity. (Singh) DPT (especially if whole cell pertussis is used) and HepB (not live viruses) may also play a role in immune alterations.

5) Use of antibiotics and resulting yeast and pathogenic bacteria infection or overgrowth, with resulting immune modification and toxic exposure. (Shaw, Fudenberg, Wuepper)

6) Maternal allergy, chronic fatigue syndrome, or leaky gut problems that caused the child to be pre-sensitized in the womb. (Fudenberg)

7) Leaky gut from any number of the above or also related to parasites or GI infections in the child that allow gluten and casein to leak into the bloodstream. Once in the body, the body alters them into toxic substances. Sucrose (table sugar) also leaks in and it is an abnormal sugar in the blood stream that causes a host of problems.

8) Defect in the detoxification pathway of the brain, Phenol Sulfur-Transferase or PST enzyme defect. Inadequate intake of sulfur compounds. (Rosemary Waring, Birmingham University, England).

9) They develop autoantibodies to Myelin Basic Protein (Singh, Fudenberg, and Gupta) and other brain components. Measles is known to induce MBP antibodies. I'll talk about this a lot more later.

10) Defective cellular immunity, especially in the NK cell activity towards self and pathogens. (Fudenberg, Gupta). And the probable elevation of Interleukin-2 and 12; see below:

Jeff Bradstreet, M.D., FAAFP
(he is in practice with Andy Wakefield)
The International Child Development Resource Center
http://www.gnd.org/autism/overview.htm

[JaneS]

Bradstreet's current site: http://www.icdrc.org/

[Mirzam]

Here's another quote from Bradstreet:

My hypothetical paradigm for autism looks like this: Autism begins with a wounding of the immune system, which may occur in the womb, but which unquestionably continues after birth (Thimerosal & environmental toxins), Which directly affect the developing brain and immune system of the child, Which leads to persistence of vaccine MV and perhaps other viruses, Further wounding the epithelium of the GI tract occurs as a result of the viral trigger autoimmune reaction to infected cells and programmed immune cells. The virus triggers autoimmune reactions in the gut and the brain. The persistence MV is a systemic infection (seizures, low white count, immune dysfunction etc) in a subset of children. Persistence of the MV or other factors as yet not identified, in turn depletes the body of the amino acid cysteine through renal wasting and poor absorption of sulfates in the gut, Cysteine controls the production of glutathione (a cofactor in numerous enzymatic pathways) and metallothionine (MT) which is perhaps best understood as the metal and mineral bank for the body, Loss of cysteine opens the door to heavy metal accumulation, since glutathione (GSH), MT and other sulfates are required for normal function of a myriad of enzyme detoxification and metal management systems.

The accumulated heavy metals are neurotoxic and immunotoxic. They also disrupt a wide array of activity within the body's biochemistry, as is apparent in the inability to digest bread and milk proteins, or the ability to defend against heavy metals. The wound becomes self-perpetuating apart from intervention.

These biological disruptions interfere with normal brain function in a variety of ways. These include: impairment of normal neurotransmitter balance, structural and functional damage to neurons and other critical cells in the brain, abnormal blood supply regulation, and the generation of abnormal electrical rhythms (the worst of which are epileptiform and true seizures). This final aspect may be a significant key to the ultimate restoration of function for the brain.

http://www.icdrc.org/overview.html

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

Dont you think he should have talked to us about 15 years ago?

I suppose... better late, is... better than never, but it frustrates me that Dr Bradstreet only took his head out the sand when it hit his family where it hurt.

However, I suppose I **should** look at the positives of it, and give him credit for finally waking up to at least a few things.

But like all the others, he's missed some key points that us morons could tell him about

So lets take that list and add to it:

What caused the immune injury or alterations? A genetic weakness (C4B null allele) and/or redisposition, combined with one or more of the following:

He's assuming that this is the paradigm in which to work, yet needs to be a lot more flexible than that. He needs to consider epigenetics and demethylation and how that affects the process.

1) Shortened or absent breast-feeding preventing the full development of transferred cellular immunity. (Fudenberg)

Again, he assumes that transferred cellular immunity is the only mechanism. That ignores all the work of Dr Katerina Svanborg, and the mechanism of HAMLET as well as how breastmilk creates the right probiotics which absorb minerals in the right way, and LAY THE FOUNDATION for not just cellular immunity but also for nutrient absorption. The "gut" is 70 % of the immune system, but they don't look at it in total.

Neither do they consider its role in e-coli endotoxin production, how that can affect the liver, and what the on-flow consequences of that might be and they should.

2) Early gluten (usually wheat) introduction prior to one year of age. Wheat has been genetically manipulated in the last 100 years to increase the gluten content.

Again here, what they forget is that its actually NOTHING to do with the gluten. Salivary fluid has an enzyme in it, to break down grains that only come "on stream" so to speak, when the molar teeth cut. Up until then, traditional wisdom has it, that all solid foods were chewed by the parent first, until the chewing teeth came in.

They of course, didn't have moulis, blenders, or the too-clean Eeeuuuwwwww screw-up-the-nose factor I hear when I tell mothers to do this...they just "knew" it was right.

It is right. Coeliacs isn't caused by too much gluten. It's caused by lack of the enzyme opening the pathway to those with epigenetic susceptibility... again, before 1900's, coeliacs was pretty much unheard of. And is a product of getting away from inherited wisdom. It's nothing to do with more gluten per say. Its just that more gluten isn't good for some people.

3) Early use of cow's milk or casein based formulas. (Allergenic and altered)

Only part of the story. Before the "too-clean" make everything Past-your-eyezd, the use of unpasteurised animal milk worked well as a last ditch substitute in desperation.

Yes, casein based formula, but who have we to blame for that? Paediatricians!

4) Immunizations with live viruses, especially the MMR after 1978. There is frequent regression after the MMR vaccine that has been observed and published (Wakefield). Other vaccinations and the resulting effects on interleukin or autoimmunity. (Singh) DPT (especially if whole cell pertussis is used) and HepB (not live viruses) may also play a role in immune alterations.

Only because that's all they've really looked at. I've dealt with children who've only had DT vaccine, but whose immune system was trashed by enviro chemicals (presumably exerting an epigenetic methylation effect) before the vaccine, and then the system going berserk... the focus is too narrow...

5) Use of antibiotics and resulting yeast and pathogenic bacteria infection or overgrowth, with resulting immune modification and toxic exposure. (Shaw, Fudenberg, Wuepper)

Funny way to word it. antibiotics cause immune modification all on their own, not necessarily as a result of the resulting yeast and pathogenic bacteria infection and overgrowth.... again, they don't know enough about e-coli...

6) Maternal allergy, chronic fatigue syndrome, or leaky gut problems that caused the child to be pre-sensitized in the womb. (Fudenberg)

Yeah, but here we have the chicken and the egg problem again. What caused the Maternal allergy?

Why is there nothing looking at minerals and other co-factors, which if got right, can totally eliminate allergy?

I've proven that in my previously-allergy-ridden family, including my husband, who no longer gets hayfever.

7) Leaky gut from any number of the above or also related to parasites or GI infections in the child that allow gluten and casein to leak into the bloodstream. Once in the body, the body alters them into toxic substances. Sucrose (table sugar) also leaks in and it is an abnormal sugar in the blood stream that causes a host of problems.

Yes. Thing is, these things should never be a problem if the foundations were laid correctly, and nutrition concepts understood, but I agree they are common place today.

8) Defect in the detoxification pathway of the brain, Phenol Sulfur-Transferase or PST enzyme defect. Inadequate intake of sulfur compounds. (Rosemary Waring, Birmingham University, England).

Ah... but see, if you have an inadequate intake of sulfur compounds you may well also have an inadequate intake of other minerals like magnesium, zinc, selenium....

9) They develop autoantibodies to Myelin Basic Protein (Singh, Fudenberg, and Gupta) and other brain components. Measles is known to induce MBP antibodies. I'll talk about this a lot more later.

Yeah, but again, that's not the cause, that's the end result of the cause. This guy still hasn't sorted the chicken from the egg. He's not yet worked out the cause as opposed to the results of the cause.

10) Defective cellular immunity, especially in the NK cell activity towards self and pathogens. (Fudenberg, Gupta). And the probable elevation of Interleukin-2 and 12; see below:

Again, that's the egg, not the chicken.

This guy has a way to go. And the thing that bothers me, is that because he things he's at the forefront of the current knowledge, he probably won't bother to look further out the square than this.

Enough. I'm knackered.

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

Ucco I was working on the above post before I saw the next quote

My hypothetical paradigm for autism looks like this: Autism begins with a wounding of the immune system, which may occur in the womb, but which unquestionably continues after birth

Whoa there. This guy has forgotten the effects of the pill, which not only long term skews the hormone system, changes vascular circulation permanently, and trashes the body's supply of magnesium, zinc, B vitamins, folic acid and essential fatty acids...

All these things lay the foundation for a pregnancy in which fetal nutrient absorption is coming from a deficit position right at the outset.

Furthermore, a mother whose body hormones aren't quite right, also lays down that pattern in her baby, which may well, like DES, have flow on effects in the next generation of babies to this one. Only time will tell if that is a fact.

For those who wish to consider this more, a book written by Ob/Gyn Dr Ellen Grant called "Sexual Chemistry" will explain it. She was involved in the original large trials on what the pill does to the body so knows her stuff.

It takes such minute subtle changes to affect fetal patterning, so Bradstreet needs to study the biochemistry of women prior to pregnancy, because that is the foundation, not just "during" pregnancy....

(Thimerosal & environmental toxins), Which directly affect the developing brain and immune system of the child,

But also, hormone mimicking sprays eaten in pregnancy by mothers.

Which leads to persistence of vaccine MV and perhaps other viruses,

He needs to explain this further, because nutrient factors do this, and I know. Once upon a time, I had chronic, excessive rubella viremia. I no long do, because I now have enough minerals and vitamin C in my system for my garbage immune system to actually work to its albeit limited potential.

Further wounding the epithelium of the GI tract occurs as a result of the viral trigger autoimmune reaction to infected cells and programmed immune cells.

You can only get that, if the gut has been further trashed by not breastfeeding, and doctors insisting on using antibiotics for ever cough, sniff and twitch...

The virus triggers autoimmune reactions in the gut and the brain. The persistence MV is a systemic infection (seizures, low white count, immune dysfunction etc) in a subset of children. Persistence of the MV or other factors as yet not identified,

very telling phrase, as in a waste paper basket we can put everyone who doesn't conform to previous paradigms...

in turn depletes the body of the amino acid cysteine through renal wasting and poor absorption of sulfates in the gut,

.... and.....and.... WHY... does he think that might happen :

Cysteine controls the production of glutathione (a cofactor in numerous enzymatic pathways) and metallothionine (MT) which is perhaps best understood as the metal and mineral bank for the body,

.. yeah, mineral bank of the body, so is he going to really discuss THIS in a meaningful way?

Loss of cysteine opens the door to heavy metal accumulation, since glutathione (GSH), MT and other sulfates are required for normal function of a myriad of enzyme detoxification and metal management systems.

Yes and no. Vitamin C and adequate selenium and other trace minerals virtually guarantee constant adequate chelation of most minerals providing the dose isn't too high...

In Nagasaki and Hiroshima, the tradition Japanese doctor knew to eat miso and other probiotic foods while helping at the scene, and I've been told by one of them (anecdote : yes, I know....), that not one of them every got radiation sickness or cancer as a result...

The accumulated heavy metals are neurotoxic and immunotoxic. They also disrupt a wide array of activity within the body's biochemistry,

very true, but why were they accummulating in the first place? Junk diet, that's why...NOT ENOUGH minerals...

as is apparent in the inability to digest bread and milk proteins, or the ability to defend against heavy metals. The wound becomes self-perpetuating apart from intervention.

What does he mean by the bolded bit?

These biological disruptions interfere with normal brain function in a variety of ways. These include: impairment of normal neurotransmitter balance, structural and functional damage to neurons and other critical cells in the brain, abnormal blood supply regulation, and the generation of abnormal electrical rhythms (the worst of which are epileptiform and true seizures). This final aspect may be a significant key to the ultimate restoration of function for the brain.

That's all true too, but its the egg not the chicken. And I find if you get in quick with these kids, you don't have to even consider the seizures, because if you sort out the why's, the seizures sort out themselves.

All the children I know who lost their seizures are children whose parent sought out alternative medical help, revamped their diets and lifestyles, sorted out the probiotics, mineral etc... and got the basic building blocks for efficient biochemistry in place.

No amount of immunological gobbledegook can replace the commonsense basics of getting it right at a cellular level. Do that, and the NK cells etc, all have the potential to sort themselves out.

Whether they will or not, is a gamble, but what have parents got to lose? WEll, yes, some may say money. But they spend a fortune going to specialist who have few answers, so why not try something more basic?

This is just my opinion, and people will probably disagree.

I have no qualifications like Bradstreet does. All I can say is I've been around these families and these kids a heck of a lot longer than he has, and live in a country where (possibly fortunately) families have to figure it out for themselves, rather than flounder within the limitations of the so called "avante garde".

Why am I so frustrated? Because most of these people still have these chains around their necks which say "Give us another 40 years and we'll give you the answers..."

I don't "know" Bradstreet from a bar of soap. I've read his stuff, and um... is it Michael Goldberg (who I have little time for). Then you have Dr John Martin who finds stealth viruses in Autistic children.

I just feel they are all running around with fire-engines at the bottom of the cliff looking for remedies for the smashed head when people topple of the top.

It's about time they looked further "back" and not just the top of the cliff, or the fence, but the plateau that walks before the child even got there in the first place.

Sorry for the rant. Well, no, not really sorry.

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

really knackered now...

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

Back again. Here's another example, I think based on maybe what LI or Jane S said... my brain is revolving.

copper and zinc.

Why are they so important?

Because if they are out of whack the enzymes that create neurotransmitters that the brain cells use to transmit their messages from one brain cell to another, don't work properly.

B6 appears to work alongside with those. Proper balance is what is needed because get the copper and zinc right, and you can modulate the brains regulation of mood and reaction to stress. These enzymes also need B6, which is why B6 often helps in treating depression.

In women, low zinc and high copper is linked to the "rage" that goes along with PMS.

So is Bradstreet looking at these kids with copper/zinc imbalance, AND looking at their mothers and their PILL taking history to see if there is a hormonal switch that has been thrown?

Because the pill rips out magnesium, zinc, B6, folic acid and EFAs.

Are you starting to make any connections here yet?

If a mother starts out that way, what does the fetus have access to, with which to "build" its body?

[Bestbirths]

my thoughts on how my children got ADD, Dyslexia, and autism....is


go back a couple generations of bad diet, weak adrenals, health problems, worshipping doctors as Gods and taking every pharmasutical they push, including all of the vaccinations (including flu shots), and feed them the Standard American Diet, so they will need mouthfulls of silver fillings, and throw in some toxic emotions (alcoholism, etc)......

So yes, genetic damage from two previous generations....then I come along. I take the pill for a year or two, then, I have a child while I have 14 silver/mercury fillings. Mercury could possibly leach through to the baby via the placenta, or just pass on the genetic damage from the poisoning. Then, live in a moldy house, use toxic chemicals, and remodel your nursery. Hang out often at the printshop where your husband works. Religiously exterminate the house, religiously vaccinate....nurse the baby....let that mercury or whatever pass right on through the breastmilk....then wean to cows milk at 1 yr old.....keep the child on antibiotics from 5 months to 22 months....and totally make a wreck out of the gut.

so get smart, get rid of all of the chemicals, improve the diet, fire the doctor, don't vaccinate, use composite fillings and even those children born after all this stuff was cleaned up still appear on the spectrum.....and they weren't vaccinated or have any merc. fillings. Why?

Because of toxic load coming from the mother to the child....because I still had the mouthful of 14 fillings and the mercury load from all of my vaccinations I recieved as a child...and the genetic load from previous generations....maybe....or maybe they were also exposed to other toxins after birth (lead, etc). Maybe the previous generations of genetic damage provided myself or my children delayed mineral transport or defective immune systems that couldn't detoxify heavy metals. This made them on the edge of chronic illness, so any stress, illness, or insult would just put them right over the edge deeper and deeper into the spectrum.

Our oldest regressed at a really old age (10-12) after a stressful event....so take into consideration the effect of stress on the body.

So I guess if this is true, to truely reduce autism it might be a good idea to get your almagams removed, hair test & chelate yourself before you have children.. ain't hindsight grand???? I am teaching my children that they can reverse the genetic damage if they live free of chemicals, and not vaccinate or otherwise expose their children....the diet my dd eats today effects her grandchildren.

[chasmyn]

MT, do you know by chance (well, actually by exhaustive research) how long the pill continues to affect one's system? I was on it from 14-21, and I went off it by choice when a nurse told me there were no long-term effects. Even then as unresearched as I was, I knew that that couldn't possibly be true.

But I didn't start being aware and eating well until I was 25, and really well until 28. I'm 34 now. Also, I have seven amalgams, which I am having removed this month.

[MammaV]

My wonderful naturopath always reminds us that our actions and our ancestors actions have damaged and broken our DNA.
We are living with those results. The last three generations(my parents, mine and the kids) have done and are continueing to contribute to weakened broken genes unable to cope with the horror we've created.
I know that's not helpful, but the "lost generation" is our own creation.