April 19, 2005.  According to Newsweek and Science News magazines, a study carried out at the University of Arkansas Children's Hospital by  by S. Jill James, director of biochemical genetics,  indicates that children in the autism spectrum have unusually low levels of Glutathione.  

Glutathione is an anti-oxidant that binds to heavy metals in the body, including mercury, and is a critical component of detoxification.  In a study of 75 autistic children and 95 neurotypical children, all 75 autistic children had unusually low levels of an active form of Glutathione.  This adds credibility to the theory that immunizations containing mercury in the form of the preservative, thimerisol, would not be detoxified well by these children, linking immunizations to mercury poisoning and autism. 

Glutathione is essential for proper functioning of the immune system, brain, and intestinal tract. According to James, preliminary results indicate that the Glutathione levels are increased to normal levels when children are given methyl B12, Trimethylglycine, and an active form of folic acid.  

Sulfation also plays an important part in detoxifying the body, according to Paul Shattock. These children do not absorb sulfur based substances well. He recommended giving children baths in epsom salts two or three times a week to help sulfur be absorbed through the skin. Although baths are best, he also suggested that bottle with a sponge tip (such as those used for dish detergent) could be used as an applicator to wet the skin with a mixture of epsom salts and water.

Many presenters at the Autism One conference discussed and were developing protocols for chelation, a process of binding heavy metals such as mercury and antimony to supplements which are then excreted out of the body. Chelation needs to be done under the care of a physician so that the heavy metals do not re-enter the bloodstream and make things worse. Substances such as L-Glutathione and Alpha Lipoic Acid are used for this. Dr. Stephanie Cave recommended lab tests to determine if heavy metal toxicity is an issue, with retesting during chelation. One interesting comment she made was that one child who took extra zinc (maybe twice the recommended dose), tested as pulling much more heavy metals out. Zinc binds to the same receptor sites as mercury, preventing the mercury from being reabsorbed into the body. Many autistic children have difficulty absorbing zinc.

Vaccinations and Autism

The researchers presenting at this conference unanimously believe that immunizations are the primary trigger that sent the majority of these children down the path to autism, and presented slide after slide of epidemiological studies and statistics to back up their claims.

Great Britain had a low incidence of autism until the MMR (measles/mumps/rubella) vaccine was introduced, according to Paul Shattock. According to Dr. Stephanie Cave, a physician presenting at the conference, the rate of autism for the year 1999 is now one in 200 (up from one in 10,000 in 1975). In some areas of the country, the rate is now one in 130!  Four times as many boys as girls become autistic. This means that in the United States, 1 in 50 boys born today will be within the autistic spectrum. Dr. Cave indicated that epidemiological studies both in Great Britain and the United States indicate that the sharp rise in autism began the year the MMR was introduced in both countries (1980 in the United States and 1987 in Great Britain). According to Dr. Wakefield, the DTP (diptheria/tetanus/pertussis) vaccine has also been implicated in a significant number of cases of autism.

The year my son was given the MMR, a bad batch of the vaccine was supposed to have reached Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he was vaccinated, resulting in an outbreak of autism.

The number of children with ADD and ADHD has also sky-rocketed (which I suspect may be simply a milder form of impairment along the continuum of damage caused by immunizations). In my own school district in Saline, Michigan, 1 in 13 children receive special education services and there are many more who are borderline. In my opinion , these early immunizations appear to do nothing less than threaten our future — impairing an entire generation of our children.

The presenters were not suggesting eliminating vaccines, but for doing away with combination immunizations (that simultaneously immunize for more than one illness at a time—and seem to cause the most problems), for spacing immunizations out more sensibly, for delaying the majority of vaccines until the child’s immune system has matured, and for creating safer vaccines (using killed viruses and eliminating the use of thimerisol – a form of mercury, as a preservative).

One the presenters mentioned that the members of the senate advisory committee on vaccines hold large quantities of stock in vaccine companies. Is this good medicine or simply big business? Do children really need so many vaccinations?