Autism Boom Began in 1988

[JillBohr]

I know. I know. This is not ME/CFS but I firmly believe there is a connection since I have relatives that suffer from both ME/CFS and autism. I had a very healthy family and so did my ex-husband. In 1996, my father was diagnosed and died from a glioblastoma brain tumour. My uncle's aunt (also in the same city and saw often) was diagnosed with MS the same year and died a year and half ago. My ex-husband's sister started suffering from ME/CFS in 1998 (and so did my aunt). It took several years for them to be officially diagnosed. In 1998, my first son was born and was officially diagnosed with autism in 2002. My other son soon followed. Here I am, this healthy 40 something year old and I am watching my family suffer and instead of feeling helpless, I try very hard to find answers to what is happening.

According to the latest David Kirby Huffington Piece on autism (btw- you should check out his articles on factory farming as well), the EPA came out and acknowledged that the autism boom started in 1988 and this is just not genetic nor is this simply a case of better diagnosis. I do wish we had more statistics and research on ME/CFS. It would be great to have some numbers to look at to see when this upward trends started as well. Of course, I believe there are many people that have ME/CFS that have NOT been diagnosed which makes it even more difficult.

In this David Kirby piece, he does cite XMRV retrovirus as one of the possible causes of autism.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-kirby/autism-vaccine-epa-study_b_548837.html

RETROVIRUSES - In October, researchers from the University of Nevada, the National Cancer Institute and The Cleveland Clinic announced the startling discovery of antibodies to a little known retrovirus in 95 percent of patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. One of the researchers reported finding the same pathogen in 40 percent of autsim children tested. The work has been disputed by other scientists

One more note, I do wish he did not add that part in regarding the work has been disputed by other scientists. The "other scientists" have not even investigated the link between autism and XMRV and the "other scientists" are psychologists/psychiatrists that have a political axe to grind with ME/CFS being a medical disease.

 

[Kati]

Thank you Jill. I am certain this is not a coincidence. I am looking forward to Dr Mikovits' talk at the autism conference. Dr Mikovits is also speaking tomorrow in Barcelona, and is going to the retrovirology conference in Prague this week end. I wonder what her poster says...

 

[bluebell]

Hi Jill,

Thanks for the link. I am wondering if anyone is brave enough to speculate on how much the XMRV positive kids on the spectrum would improve once treatments are available. The prospect of seeing my son get better is far more exciting than my own chance at recovery. If this turns out to be "it" for some kids, I do so hope it is it for yours. Not to wish a retrovirus on your kids, of course, but if it leads to an effective treatment...

 

[Summer]

1987

"Based on good epidemiology, CFS affects 1% of the population. The number of disability claims based on CFS has climbed 500% from 1989-1993. If year of onset is graphed from 1983 to present, the highest number of cases are seen to have started in 1987. It is unclear what etiologic factor might be responsible for onset in 1987, although this is essentially 4 years after a similar dating can be made for AIDS."

LINK

 

[Frickly]

Jill, You are awesome and not alone in your concerns. I saw that article by David Kirby and wish it was worded a little bit differently. However, he is one of our advocates and I have tremendous respect for him. I am reading Animal Factory now and it is very disturbing. I encourage anyone who does not understand the connection between ME/CFS and autism to research this further. In my mind....there is no doubt. I beleive that the search for a cause and cure/treatment for my disease will also help my children.

 

[JillBohr]

Thank you Jill. I am certain this is not a coincidence. I am looking forward to Dr Mikovits' talk at the autism conference. Dr Mikovits is also speaking tomorrow in Barcelona, and is going to the retrovirology conference in Prague this week end. I wonder what her poster says...

Hey Kati, I am too looking forward to the conference in May. I hope it gets YOUTUBED or in the internet somehow someway. I will be working that Saturday so there is no way I would be able to make it that Saturday. Is she giving a poster at the conference? She should be one of the main speakers in my opinion.

 

[JillBohr]

Hi Jill,

Thanks for the link. I am wondering if anyone is brave enough to speculate on how much the XMRV positive kids on the spectrum would improve once treatments are available. The prospect of seeing my son get better is far more exciting than my own chance at recovery. If this turns out to be "it" for some kids, I do so hope it is it for yours. Not to wish a retrovirus on your kids, of course, but if it leads to an effective treatment...

Hey Bluebell, I know exactly what you mean. I have always wanted to know what caused my boys to have autism. It is more important to find out what caused the autism even if the truth is brutal. Besides, finding the cause will lead to treatment and prevention.

 

[JillBohr]

"Based on good epidemiology, CFS affects 1% of the population. The number of disability claims based on CFS has climbed 500% from 1989-1993. If year of onset is graphed from 1983 to present, the highest number of cases are seen to have started in 1987. It is unclear what etiologic factor might be responsible for onset in 1987, although this is essentially 4 years after a similar dating can be made for AIDS."

LINK

Thank you Summer. Great link. btw- here is a paper that was published in 1997 in which they cited 2.5% of the population in Georgia suffered from ME/CFS. It is very interesting how the autism and ME/CFS boom started near the same time.

http://www.pophealthmetrics.com/content/5/1/5

 

[JillBohr]

Jill, You are awesome and not alone in your concerns. I saw that article by David Kirby and wish it was worded a little bit differently. However, he is one of our advocates and I have tremendous respect for him. I am reading Animal Factory now and it is very disturbing. I encourage anyone who does not understand the connection between ME/CFS and autism to research this further. In my mind....there is no doubt. I beleive that the search for a cause and cure/treatment for my disease will also help my children.

No Frickly, YOU are awesome. I hope you do not think I am upset with David Kirby. I respect him very much. He is putting a lot at stake when writing about autism. As you know, when people write about the autism epidemic, they get shot down by autism epidemic denialists. Look how long it took for people to wake up and realized that something is going on here. I have a gift certificate for a bookstore so I think I will use it and get the book "Factory Farming" intead of just reading articles on it. My only worry is that I will give up meat after reading it.

 

[HopingSince88]

I have a gift certificate for a bookstore so I think I will use it and get the book "Factory Farming" intead of just reading articles on it. My only worry is that I will give up meat after reading it.

Jill & Frickly,
My late husband was a meatcutter. He told me that if I ever knew what went on within a supermarket meatroom I would never eat meat again. I like meat, so I never asked questions about it. However, now I buy natural/locally/humanely raised grass fed beef or poultry. There are lots of these little farms in New England, so I have no trouble finding these at farmers markets, etc. I don't get too hung up on 'organic' anymore, as many small farms can't pay the price for certification. I think it is around $5K per year for this??? There are now some kind of 'self-certification' which is on the honor system, and which I do trust when I am buying direct from a farmer.