"Autism: The Hidden Epidemic" on NBC tonight...

[NC_Nurse]

I just caught the end of it. They are having a bunch of programs on it this week on CNBC, the Today Show, and MSNBC. Check out this link if you're interested:

www.autism.msnbc.com

Looks like they will touch on the possible causes of the dramatic increase in autism. They have a poll on the website about causes too.

[Ladyhawk]

1. What good is a poll asked to lay people?

We probably won't ever know the real reasons for the increase. As a lay person, I can suspect something, but have no way of proving my suspicions. :(

[NC_Nurse]

3. I just thought it was interesting.

I personally suspect that environmental toxins are responsible for the rise in ALL autoimmune and chronic neurological conditions like autism, MS, fibromyalgia, lupus, etc. It just makes sense to me. The show on possible causes will be on Monday morning on the Today show I think...should be interesting.

[Ladyhawk]

11. I think you might be right.

However, we probably won't ever know. :(

[Eurobabe]

2. Ha, I took the poll, and guessed as 60% of others did

exposure to mercury and other toxins, but I also am very intrigued by this in-utero autoimmune connection. I think someday they will find that mom having an autoimmune disease (prob. environmentally linked to pesticides, xenoestrogens, etc) unfortunately predisposes the baby to a host of illnesses.

Sorry to say, but I think we are killing ourselves off as a species. Maybe that's nothing to be sorry about, seeing the devastation we've unleashed on mother earth though...it's karmic.

[NC_Nurse]

4. I hope that more people wake up to the

possibility that we are poisoning ourselves and that the Bush admin is trying to hurry things along with programs like the "clear skies" bullshit they're pushing....

[Dissent Is Patriotic]

5. Mercury, mercury, mercury...

[postulater]

6. Mercury causes nerve degeneration

Watch this incredible video from the University of Calgary showing real-time degeneration of a nerve fiber when exposed to mercury.

<http://commons.ucalgary.ca/mercury/>

[NC_Nurse]

7. The symptoms of mercury poisoning

and autism are almost identical, btw...

[postulater]

8. Here's some more scary stuff

<http://www.mercola.com/2004/jun/23/mercury_vaccine.htm>

[gorbal]

15. Autism and other disorders

Mercury poisoning causes the manifestations of symptoms that resemble autism and other disorders such as MS, so much so that I might guess they were one and the same. When they seperate it into different disorders it makes it easier to hide the cause.

[blue neen]

9. Thanks for the heads up on this.

I saw the advertisements last week that they were going to be talking about autism this week.

It's about time the autism epidemic gets some attention. These children and their families really struggle.

[NC_Nurse]

10. Yes, we do at times.

I know there are many here at DU who have autistic family members or are on the autistic spectrum themselves. I wanted to get the word out for all of us. Thanks for your support. :-)

[OneBlueSky]

12. there has to be an environmental reason for this . . .

I'm not familiar enough with autism to speculate on just what it is, but his is far more than a random increase . . . yet another factor that helps prove the absolute need for strict environmental protections in every area -- water, air, foods, drugs, weaponry, etc. . .

[ultraist]

13. Vaccines with mercury are likely a cause

[kath]

14. NO, the vaccine-autism link has been soundly DISPROVEN, several times, in

very large, well-done studies.

[gorbal]

16. Actually no

The studies were NOT so conclusive-

http://www.melaniephillips.com/articles/archives/000345.html