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autism research
Autism Activists Defend Embattled Dr. Wakefield
By Dana Kennedy - AOL NewsDespite a new report that a 1998 study linking childhood vaccines to autism was based on "bogus data," many autism activists are standing by their man -- the disgraced doctor who led the research. Andrew Wakefield, a British doctor, and his colleagues scared parents worldwide and spurred an anti-vaccine backlash in a study that was an "elaborate fraud," a British medical journal reported Wednesday. Wakefield misrepresented or altered key findings about the 12 children who formed the basis of the case series, according to a piece written by a British investigative journalist in the ...
Dr. Andrew Wakefield Falsified Study Linking Vaccines to Autism, Journal Says
By David Knowles - AOL NewsAn editorial in the British Medical Journal puts forth evidence that a now-discredited study linking autism and common childhood vaccines relied on falsified evidence to make its central claim. "Clear evidence of falsification of data should now close the door on this damaging vaccine scare," the editors of the journal wrote. Why would Dr. Andrew Wakefield make up findings to prove that getting vaccines to help prevent diseases such as measles, mumps and rubella can cause higher rates of autism? According to the journal's editors, the reason was simple: money. Wakefield is alleged to have ...
FDA: Popular Autism Treatment 'Dangerous and Illegal'
By Katie Drummond - AOL News(Oct. 15) -- Those desperate to treat chronic health conditions, including autism and heart disease, can buy chelation products online with a few clicks of the mouse. But that might be changing, now that the Food and Drug Administration is launching a crackdown on the popular treatment, which the agency alleges is "dangerous and illegal" -- not to mention unproven to make any meaningful difference in the ailments it's purported to help heal. The agency this week sent warning notices to eight purveyors of chelation products, which are not FDA approved for over-the-counter sales (that goes for ...
New Report Debunks Link Between Vaccines, Autism
By Katie Drummond - AOL News(Sept. 13) -- The mercury-based preservative that was a mainstay ingredient in several key vaccines does not contribute to the development of autism among children, according to a report released today. A government-funded study on thimerosal is the latest in a series of research efforts to debunk the idea that childhood vaccinations caused autism. "This study should reassure parents about following the recommended immunization schedule," the Centers for Disease Control's Dr. Frank Destefano, the study's lead author, told Reuters. Debate over the safety of childhood vaccines surged more ...
Surprise Emmy Darling Temple Grandin's 3 Greatest Hits
By Carl Franzen - AOL News(Aug. 30) -- One of the biggest surprises during of Sunday's Emmy Awards ceremony was the success of HBO's five-award-winning "Temple Grandin," based on the true story of the longtime animal rights and autism advocate. Although many people might be more familiar with Claire Daines* -- the "My So-Called Life" actress who portrayed Grandin in the film and won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie -- Grandin herself has been celebrated for many years by her scientific colleagues for her pioneering work. She is especially noted for channeling her own high-functioning ...
Autism Study: Baby's Babble May Contain Vital Clues
By Traci Watson - AOL News(July 19) -- To a parent's ears, there's nothing more enchanting than the babble of a child learning to talk. Now research shows that those nonsense syllables could contain coded signals that a toddler is autistic. In a study released today, scientists report that they have designed a computer program that can distinguish between the speech of normal children and those with autism. Even though the work is only a first stab at analyzing audio recordings for signs of autism, it can correctly identify more than 85 percent of autistic and nonautistic children. "We had no idea that this was ...
The Anti-Vaccine Movement: Blinding Us With Pseudoscience
By Donna Trussell - Politics DailyDespite the American infatuation with gambling, in other areas of life we shy away from random chance. We like cause and effect. We like the story of one thing leading to another in a nice, straight line. And if such a story does not declare itself, we'll invent one. Our need for a clear, predictable pattern leads us down the wayward path of conspiracy theories. In the absence of a cause that makes sense to us, we'll spend hours, days, years looking for one. Why? Peter Jennings alluded to a possible reason in his thorough 2003 documentary "Peter Jennings Reporting: The Kennedy Assassination ...
Latest Genetic Research May Help Decode Autism
By Katie Drummond - AOL News(June 9) -- In a breakthrough that could help scientists develop accurate diagnostics and effective treatment for autism, researchers have pinpointed dozens of genes implicated in the illness. But the new findings, published in this week's issue of Nature, also illustrate just how complicated this developmental disorder -- which affects a child's ability to communicate and relate to others -- really is. Researchers compared the DNA of 996 children with autism and 1,280 children without it. They found dozens of genes whose copy number variants -- stretches of DNA that disrupt normal genetic ...
Banned Autism Doctor Vows to 'Continue This Work'
By Katie Drummond - AOL News(May 25) -- Both sides of the autism-vaccine debate are speaking out after a U.K. doctor was banned from practicing medicine, 12 years after he authored a study that purported to link autism with routine childhood vaccinations for measles, mumps and rubella. And those voices include Dr. Andrew Wakefield himself. He continued to dispute those who dismiss the accuracy of his findings on the "Today" show this morning and elsewhere. Wakefield, now 53, published his study in the prestigious medical journal The Lancet. But years later, after thousands of parents had opted not to have their kids ...
Court Rules Vaccination Doesn't Cause Autism
By Ria Misra - Politics DailyThe U.S. Court of Federal Claims has ruled that vaccinations -- or, more specifically, thimerosal, an additive in some vaccinations -- does not cause autism. The court considered three separate claims for damages, but ruled Friday in each of them that the vaccinations the children received were unconnected to their eventual diagnoses of autism. Autism diagnosis rates have risen. This winter, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that one in 110 children had autism -- up from their previous estimate of one in 150. But why the rates are rising -- or whether the increase in ...
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