THE AUTISM EPIDEMIC AND NATURAL SOLUTIONS
by Lawrence Wilson, MD

Autism is a serious behavioral disorder among young children that now occurs at epidemic rates. According to a recent article by Donald Miller, MD, autism is diagnosed in about 1 of every 250 girls and 1 in every 100 boys or more. In some areas, it is far more prevalent.

According to California records, autism has increased 1000% in the past 20 years! Autism used to account for 3% of the caseload of the California Department of Economic Security. As of 2004, it accounts for at least 34% of the caseload and costs taxpayers about $2 million per child. Lifetime care costs are easily five times higher.

This article discusses some possible causes for autism, prevention, and natural approaches to helping autistic children.

WHAT IS AUTISM?

In nutritional balancing science, autism is regarded as a type of social anxiety disorder. A young child who often begins life normally, suddenly begins to withdraw socially and in other ways. The reason, at one level, is that there is too much chaos internally in the brain and nervous system. The child responds by withdrawing to reduce stimulation and chaos from outside. This may sound odd, but it can help explain some autistic symptoms.

CAUSES OF AUTISM

Medical doctors claim they do not know the cause of autism. However, research from hair mineral analysis always reveals the presence of toxic metals, nutrient deficiencies, and often a reduced ability to eliminate toxins from the body.

The problem starts in utero. The problem of autism may indeed begin during pregnancy, although it may not manifest until a few years afterwards. Toxic metals and perhaps toxic chemicals from the mother pass through the placenta and affect the brain and other organs such as the liver. The child is born with this and must try to eliminate them as it is growing. This is an extra burden on any child.

These toxins today are found everywhere and include those found in her food such as mercury in fish, lead and cadmium sprayed on produce and hormones added to meats and dairy products. They also include medications, both prescription drugs and OTC remedies used widely by women even more than men.

They also include cosmetics, skin care products and a large number of other drugs and products available without prescription that mothers are falsely reassured are “safe” during pregnancy although they are not safe. In fact, no artificial substance is very safe. The less the mother exposes herself to all toxins, the better for the baby inside of her.

Contact toxins, of course, are another problem today. These include dental amalgams, other metals in the mouth, work-related poisons in offices and factories and many more. Even new plastic equipment such as computers outgas toxins that are harmful for developing fetuses if the mother breathes them or touches them.

People forget that all toxins are absorbed through the skin, often even more so than those that are ingested in the food or water. Often, conditions such as autism, ADHD and others are merely the end result of the process.

Most women unaware. Most of the time, mothers to be are totally unaware of the influence of their toxic makeup, toxic shampoos and toxic skin creams they use each day. Nor are they aware of the toxicity of their aspirin tablets and other drugs of all kinds that they so casually take for fatigue, anxiety, irritability before their menstrual periods and for other reasons. All of them build up in their bodies, and some can be passed to their unborn children.

As if this is not enough toxicity, there are many more problems of young women today. These include horrendous diets filled with toxic chemicals whose mixtures have not been researched and really cannot be known. In addition, most are fatigued, reducing their ability to eliminate these toxins. Their vitamin D levels are low, their omega-3 fatty acid levels are often dreadfully low, as are their levels of zinc and other vital minerals, even if they eat well.

One cannot identify these imbalances without doing a hair mineral test, as they do not show up on routine blood tests. As a result, mothers innocently and unknowingly pass their deficiencies and toxicity on to their children.

Fortunately, this can be reversed using a nutritional balancing program, but it takes a few months to a few years to do so.

Indigenous cultures much more aware. In some indigenous cultures, as soon as a young woman reaches puberty, the community celebrates by feeding her special foods to prepare her for bearing children. The adults may walk for miles, or go on special fishing trips to locate just the right type of foods they have found will help produce superior offspring.

Many health-minded societies are described in the classic book, Nutrition and Physical Degeneration by Weston Price, DDS. This brilliant man went around the world in the early twentieth century and studied tribes that were the healthiest to determine why this was so.

His work has never been duplicated and probably cannot be, as many of the tribes no longer exist, thanks to the intrusion of modern society upon their tribal lands. The people are far worse in their health today as a result, though civilization has brought far greater benefits in other ways.

Animal breeders smarter than doctors. Animal breeders understand well that to produce healthy offspring they must feed the parents, especially the mothers-to-be, a very high-quality diet. They usually add special nutritional supplements as well.

They also know that this feeding should begin long before a female animal becomes pregnant. They also understand that all toxins affect living creatures, not just the food and water. So chemicals in the environment and those put on the skin or in the mouth create just as many problems as those in the food and water.

The truth revealed on tissue mineral analyses. Tissue mineral analyses of autistic children and of their parents almost always reveal mineral deficiencies, toxic levels of heavy metals, intense stress patterns and so much more. Of course, one must be able to interpret the test, which most doctors who offer TMA do not understand today. This is why this website contains so many articles on this subject.

In addition, the analysis must be performed correctly, which is usually not the case. The laboratory must not wash the hair at the lab for the most accurate results. These factors account for just a part of the reason hair mineral analysis is not accorded more importance today. This will change, I am hoping, as time goes on and the truth becomes known.

Soon, anyone who does not do this test on every teenager or at least every pregnant woman will be viewed as negligent, as it is the truth.

Now let us address more specific causes of some cases of autism.

Mercury Toxicity and Vaccines. Symptoms resemble mercury toxicity. The symptoms of autism are very similar to the symptoms of mercury poisoning. Six-month old children today receive over 100 times the safe dose of mercury for their age due to vaccines.

The first case of autism occurred in 1943 in America, twelve years after a mercury-containing preservative, thimerosal, was added to the whooping cough (pertussis) vaccine. In the 1950s, with only four recommended vaccines, the incidence of autism was 1 in 10,000 children.

As more vaccines were recommended, the incidence of autism increased dramatically. By 1981, children received 135 micrograms of mercury in vaccines. The incidence of autism increased to 1 in 2600 children. Children in 1996 received 246 micrograms of mercury in vaccines and the incidence of autism was about 1 in every 350 children.

Today, 13 vaccines are recommended with varying numbers of booster shots. The number of shots ranges from 50 to over 100 in some areas. The incidence of autism now averages about 1 in every 150 children by some estimates and shows little evidence of decline.

Children who receive vaccinations containing thimerosal have six times the amount of autism as those who received a vaccine free of thimerasol. The majority of autism symptoms begin after a vaccination.

Some physicians particularly blame the hepatitis B vaccine, at times given on a child’s first day of life. This is not only insane, as babies are not prone to hepatitis. It is dangerous. At that time, children do not have a well-developed immune system, and their nervous system is extremely vulnerable. In one day, a child receiving the hepatitis B vaccine may receive 36 times as much mercury as the safe limit.

This vaccine, in my view, is guaranteed to produce many more problems than it could possibly solve. Every parent should refuse it, along with the others. Newborns are simply not exposed to hepatitis B, except perhaps in the hospital by accident. Why doctors go along with such inanity is beyond my comprehension.

Of course, vaccines containing mercury are also given to mothers. In one study, 50% of autistic children’s mothers had received Rho Gam shots containing mercury as a preservative. These shots are given to mothers who have an Rh negative blood type and may be carrying an Rh positive baby. Flu shots may also contain the mercury-containing preservative, thimerasol.

This outrage, I am told, is slowly ending as mercury is removed from vaccines. However, vaccines may contain other deadly preservatives such as other mercury compounds, aluminum compounds and others. Vaccination remains a problem for all young children today. For more about vaccination’s effects, read the article on this site entitled Vaccines, One Of The Most Stupid Medical Interventions.

Autistic Children Have Difficulty Eliminating Toxic Metals, ESPECIALLY MERCURY . Ninety-nine percent of autistic children in a recent study have dysfunctional metallothionein metabolism. Metallothionein is a protein that binds to minerals such as mercury, copper and others and allows the body to eliminate them. If this binding protein does not function well, one is less able to transport and eliminate many toxic metals.

We find that children with autism often have very low mercury levels. This is called a Double O pattern. It indicates difficulty eliminating the metal. This is a key to autism that we must not overlook, since we must remove the mercury to effect a complete reversal of this serious problem.

Autistic Children Often Have Food Reactions or Sensitivities. Many autistic children are highly allergic to milk protein, soy protein, whey protein and other foods. This may be due to digestive disturbances, chronic intestinal infections, toxic metals or other causes.

Regardless of the cause, the issue must be addressed at once. Any food that is not digested properly will leave a residue that is fermented or putrefies and gives rise to infectious organisms in the intestines and beyond.

This just adds to the burden on the body, in particular the eliminative organs such as the liver and kidneys. When these organs or overwhelmed, the child becomes ill and autism can be one result. The overload also reduces the child’s ability to remove other toxins such as mercury from vaccines and many, many others that are needed to maintain health and development.

Food problems are so important they deserve a separate article as well. Several articles on this website address the issue of what should children eat, such as Children’s Nutrition.

Stress from other sources may also play a role. Hair mineral tests of autistic children often reveal chronic stress patterns. In addition to the stress due to vaccines, poor diets and medications, stress may be related to other causes in the child’s environment.

The balance of the minerals in the body are quite accurate to reflect stress in child’s life that may come from problems in the home, parental discord, food and diet-related issues, chronic infection, toxins in the environment and more.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

In a typical autism case, around his second birthday, a normally-developing boy stops communicating with others and withdraws. He avoids eye contact and becomes strange and aloof.

He often develops various motor nerve disturbances such as jerking movements or walking on his toes. Physicians also describe behaviors such as head banging, crying spells, speech problems, and gastrointestinal and immune system problems.

Other behaviors depend on the severity of the condition, which may vary. Some autistic children are able to attend school, while others must be institutionalized as their behavior is so disruptive to their families.

PREVENTING AUTISM

These causes are of the greatest importance because it is far easier to prevent autism than to work to correct it. Prevention starts with the nourishment and general health young women before they become pregnant. The nutritional condition of the father probably also plays a part. A healthful lifestyle with plenty of rest and sleep, a quality diet, freedom from toxic chemicals and metals in the food, air and water and healthful emotional states are all important. Ideally, all young women should go on a nutritional balancing program for at least a year before becoming pregnant. They must also take a full program of supplements, not just a prenatal vitamin once they are pregnant, which is totally inadequate and not individualized at all.

Once children are born, the question of vaccination must be considered carefully, as autism often occurs soon after a vaccination. This is a difficult decision for parents. The references at the end of this article mention just one of many books available about vaccine problems so that one can evaluate different options.

Young children, of course, also need a quality diet, and the avoidance of junk foods and avoidance of medical drugs. Also avoid fluoride pills and fluoride applications to the teeth and mercury amalgam dental fillings.

Based on current research, these measures would significantly reduce the chances of a child developing autism.

CORRECTION OF AUTISM

If a child has been diagnosed with autism or a related disorder, there is much that can be done. A nutritional balancing program based on a properly performed and correctly interpreted hair mineral analysis is excellent and often effective to correct it completely if begun early and the family is willing to stay with the program a few years.

If one is not ready for a complete nutritional balancing program, here are basic measures that any parent can take:

Diet. All infants should be breast fed for 3 years. Hopefully, they will not need any food. However, if necessary, some home made formula, not food, can be added aftern age 1 to 2. Until age 3 I would not recommend regular food, as the child’s digestive system is not ready for it. The idea of stopping breast feeding before age 3 or so is pernicious, in my view. It just weakens the child.

When it is time for food, do not give a child any sweets or fruit or fruit juices. These are not appropriate for fast oxidizers, which is how all babies begin life. Excellent foods are natural foods, preferably organically grown, such as fresh cooked vegetables, never raw ones, whole well-cooked grains, but not wheat, natural meats and eggs, and healthful beverages such as spring water or mild herbal teas only. Avoid tap water, ‘drinking water’, all juices, and all alkaline waters and other beverages such as fruit juices.

Young children also all need healthful fats in their diet for the development of their nervous system. These include foods such as eggs, butter, meats, fresh toasted almond butters, and a little olive oil, butter or other vegetable oils.

Strict avoidance of all cow’s milk products is beneficial for many autistic children. Raw dairy, however, may be well tolerated. Avoiding wheat, sugar in all forms, and all sweet foods is helpful for all children.

Many autistic children have chronic intestinal yeast infections that make them very sensitive to sugars. It can be very important to avoid all concentrated sugars including soda pop, candies, cookies, and even natural fruit juices and other sweetened foods. Excessive carbohydrates in the diet, even good quality one, may also worsen an intestinal yeast condition.

Supplementary Nutrients. In addition to avoiding allergic foods and improving the general quality of the diet, a scientifically designed nutrition program based on hair mineral analysis can be most helpful. The key to nutritional balancing programs, and the way they differ from what may be called symptomatic approaches, is to gently and delicately balance body chemistry.

Through an individualized hair mineral analysis, a custom program can be set up to help to slowly detoxify and rebuild the body. A child’s first hair mineral analysis reflects the top layer of metabolism and will not show all the imbalances. We address what is revealed on the test with diet, supplementary nutrients, lifestyle modification and detoxification procedures.

After a number of months, a retest will reveal a deeper layer of metabolism. Many times it will look quite different from the previous layer if the healing program was followed. Uncovering and reversing layers of adaptations and compensations, a process called retracing, requires time and some persistence, but is far more permanent and health-producing than simply removing symptoms. The results are:

* Enhancement of absorption and digestion of all nutrients. Mineral imbalances play an enormous role in the production of digestive enzymes and for rebuilding the intestine. Also, mineral imbalances often contribute to intestinal yeast infection and other disturbances of the normal intestinal flora. Autistic children may also require digestive enzymes, probiotics such as acidophilus, anti-candida supplements and specific dietary changes to help rebuild the digestive system.

* Nutritional balancing programs facilitate the removal of mercury, copper, manganese, iron, lead, cadmium and at least a dozen other metals that are commonly present in excess. This will occur even if metallothionein metabolism is impaired. We do not recommend chelation therapy, though I know many doctors recommend it. It appears to be unnecessary with the nutritional balancing program and may unbalance the body. It is slightly toxic in all cases.

In contrast, nutritional balancing programs help remove toxic metals by at least a dozen methods simultaneously, such as:

1. Improving the overall energy and vitality levels.

2. Balancing the autonomic nervous system. This is most important for autistic children. The sympathetic nervous system inhibits the eliminative organs and has a catabolic effect on the body. Catabolic means that it breaks down body tissue. The sympathetic nervous system is overactive in many if not all autistic children. Parasympathetic supplements and even foods, along with balancing the chemistry, can calm the sympathetic system, allowing for much better elimination of toxic metals and chemicals.

3) Improving the organs of elimination. For this we use digestive enzymes, liver support, kidney glandular substance at times and sauna therapy, especially in older children. Enhancing the body’s energy level also helps the eliminative organs.

5) Providing natural toxic metal antagonists. Antagonists are minerals or other substances that get in the way of the absorption or metabolism of toxic metals or toxic chemicals. For example, zinc is an antagonist for cadmium, copper and lead. Selenium has an antagonistic action on mercury and other toxic metals.

6) Balancing the oxidation rate and the major mineral ratios.

7) Assuring the child drinks the proper amount of the correct drinking water to adequately hydrate the body. This is often a hidden problems for many children and adults today.

8) Supporting the digestive system, and all systems of the body to enhance digestion and elimination of toxins.

Other Natural Therapies. Other natural therapies may be helpful for autistic children. These may include chiropractic, massage, craniosacral therapy and many others.

CONCLUSION

The autism epidemic, and it is an epidemic, causes a staggering level of suffering and wasted human potential. It is also an enormous financial burden on families and helping agencies. Standard medical treatments are not very effective. Natural therapies, especially nutritional correction, are demonstrating very positive results.

Nutritional balancing is a more advanced nutritional approach that is simpler and often much less costly and more effective than other nutritional approaches.

A few states have banned the use of thimerosal in vaccines and seen a slight decline in autism. In addition, there may be other positive outcomes from the autism epidemic. It is definitely drawing attention to the problems of multiple vaccines. Alert doctors and parents are beginning to question the wisdom of injecting dangerous viruses into their newborn children, especially when the vaccines are preserved with toxic metals such as mercury and aluminum.

Most important for the future, we hope autism will also cause more people to be concerned with the way young women are prepared for motherhood, and I hope that prenatal care will drastically improve. All young women need supplements of vitamins A and D, omega-3 fatty acids, and the whole complement of important minerals and vitamins. Also, I hope the autism epidemic brings attention to the insanity of multiple vaccinations in vulnerable children.

If the pain we all suffer from the autism epidemic helps us to wake up and pay more attention to the nutrition of teenage girls and young mothers-to-be, this would indeed be a positive step toward producing healthier generations of children in the future.

For a recent case history of a case of autism, click here.

References

1. Miller, D.J., MD, “Mercury on the Mind”, Health Freedom News, pp. 16-18, 27, December 2004. Also available at www.donaldmiller.com.

2. “Mercury in Medicine”, The Congressional Record, May 21, 2003, E1011-E1030.

3. www.safeminds.org

4. O’Shea, T., The Sanctity of Human Blood: Vaccination Is Not Immunization, 2004.

4. Miller, N. Z., Are Vaccines Really Safe and Effective, 2002.

5. Autism Research Institute (www.autismresearchinstitute.com)

6. Geier, M. and Geier, D, MD, “America’s Developmental Disorder Nightmare”, Dental Truth, A Publication of DAMS International, pp. 20-21, December 2003.

7. Defeat Autism Now (www.danconference.com)