Did anyone see Oprah's show yesterday with Jenny McCarthy?
It was quite good, but it freaked me out a little. I am glad Oprah recognizes that her show has a lot of power and that people buy in to whatever she "promotes" -- I'm guilty of that right now. She did preface her show by saying that this was Jenny's experience, but I am totally freaked out about vaccinations.
I believe in vaccinations. I completely agree that the benefits of vaccinating your children far out weigh the risks, or at least, I thought I did. Is that statement still true today? Why did the statistics go from 1:10,000 children have autism to 1:3000 to now 1:150 children are diagnosed with autism? And why is it that 1 out of every 94 boys get autism?
Why is there such a drastic difference in children after their 1 year birthdays which happens to correlate directly with the MMR vaccine? I know we were all vaccinated as children and turned out just fine, but were we vaccinated with the same concoction they do up nowadays? Or were our shots more spaced out? I'm going to have to investigate this a little more.
Of course I do not want to become obsessed with it. I do not want to spend the next 2 years worrying about autism, but if we can prevent it, I think we should. Why is it that the medical community just closes their ears when we bring up our concerns? I asked about the shots that Noah got at his 2 month appointment and the student doctor treated me like I was crazy. Well, it's not HER kid.
I want to know what they are shooting my kid up with and if it's safe. I have a right to question what is in that needle before you stick that needle in my baby's leg. I have a right to have all my fears alleviated without being made to feel like an overprotective mom. Again, don't get me wrong, I think vaccines are important; but presently, the odds are just too great and it's a wager I can't afford to make. But every time we get the raised eyebrows and the dismissive language, we are being "forced" to do it because everybody else is doing it and are made to feel like we are the only ones with questions and fears.
What are your thoughts? Interestingly enough, I never gave it any thought before I had children. I just "knew" I'd do it. HA. Wait until it's YOUR kid. You'll be singing a different tune like I am.
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16 comments:
Very interesting! I didn't see Oprah yesterday but now I wish I had. I came across this website from the CDC that I thought you might be interested in. There's a 1-800 number at the bottom if you have any questions. Hope it helps and thanks for the blog.
http://www.cdc.gov/od/science/iso/concerns/mmr_autism_factsheet.htm
Hi Sandy
A friend found you while surfing around and sent me over to make you feel better!
My son has Autism. My son did not get his Autism from his shots - he had it from the day he was born. Not all Autism presents itself at 2-3 years but when it does people tend to link it to the vaccine because it is the only 'new' thing at the time.
The debate rages among Autism parents but more and more people are taking the side that Autism is not caused by the MMR vaccine and there have been documented cases of Autism in children that are not vaccinated. There are studies that point to environmental issues having a part in Autism. Autism is being looked at as a genetic disorder as well and there are studies that show Autism in the brain of infants - before the MMR shot. Also, if your husband has signs of Autism that is a good sign your son will have it. Many fathers of children with Autism are engineers, computer programmers, etc. Bill Gates and Albert Einstein are reported to have had Asperger's which is a different form of Autism.
There is speculation among researchers as well that the numbers of children with Autism are not increasing. What is increasing is the ability of professionals to better diagnose the disability. I think everyone can think back to high school or elementary school and remember a kid that really didn’t fit in and always had issues at school – it is possible that those kids were just undiagnosed cases… I think vaccines are important and even after my son was diagnosed with Autism I continued to vaccinate him. Mumps was a big issue out here where I live this past spring. I am not big on medications or shots but these are tested shots that have been giving for a long time and the good they do outweighs the chance of getting Autism (if that can be confirmed as the cause – and it has been confirmed as not being the cause!)
Autism is a lifelong disability but it is not a death sentence. With early intervention these children can almost be considered 'normal'. As a parent it is devastating to find out that your child has Autism but in a way it can be a relief - because you now have a name and a place to start. It opens many doors for parents as well as the children - you see life from a new perspective.
Most parents who have children with Autism DO NOT go through what Jenny McCarty went through with her son. I personally don't agree with a lot of what she said. I do not see any kind of recovery for my son. The wiring in my son's head is wrong but there are ways to train the brain to deal with that wiring issue and reroute information in a different way. Note: my son had very mild seizures around age two but they eventually stopped AND my son does not take medication of any kind.
With my son I saw signs of his Autism the day that he was born (i.e. unhappy all the time - no smile for a long time - odd play - not wanting to be held) and many parents of children with Autism will admit to having similar experiences that doctors told them were normal. I feel honoured to have a son with Autism because, as trying as it can be, he shows me a side of the world - and the people in it - that I otherwise would never have seen.
I once read something somewhere :) that said "Maybe Autism is just the next step in our evolution and eventually every child will be lucky enough to have it"
So, if you are worried about your son educate yourself so that you know what to look for and be ready to make yourself heard. Never take no for an answer. Life will change but life is always changing and if it happens to you you will instinctively know how to deal with it. Believe me!
Liz
autism_thenewnormal@yahoo.ca
here is a really good site put out by the government of canada about vaccinations. One of the arguments people are making about vaccines is that they have a preservative called thimerosal in them which contains mercury. However, vaccines in canada never had thimerosol in them -only the US vaccines did. Many believe it was thimerosal in the vaccines that causes autism. ALso if it is vaccines that are causing our children to have autism then why is autism more prevalent in boys than it is in girls? girls recieve vaccinations as often as boys. Just a few thoughts for you..
I too watched the Oprah show and was worried about vaccinating my son but after doing a little bit more research I am confident that there is not enough evidence to suggest vaccines are causing autism.
http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/im/vs-sv/vs-faq_e.html
-name of site sorry!!
Thank you everyone for your input! This is an interesting topic indeed.
Liz, thank you for taking the time to educate me further. God bless you and your son! You're right, it's not a death sentence. I do not want you to think that I think that! ;) As moms, no matter who we are, we just want our children to be healthy and happy. Once again, thank you for your input. It was much appreciated!
I welcome anymore comments and insight that anyone reading this blog has to share. I have quite a few first time mommy friends--with sons-- that will be looking for answers as well. :)
I would like to also say that as thankful as I am for the comments, those who are reading and trying to have their fears alleviated, please keep in mind that we don't know who or if posters are "real" people.
I am not saying that I doubt the sincerity of the comments, but just keep it in mind.
With that said, Liz, your link is a dead link. ;) It might just be purely a glitch, but I just thought I'd let people know before they put the address in.
Unfortunately, I have had "people" in the past make up fake names and sites and share experiences who were not really "real" at all. I'm not saying that is you, I just want to ensure that readers practice internet safety. :)
Sandy, I didn't give you a link. That is my name and email address with my post to show you that I was in fact a real person. I only made the one post and did so with the anonymous option because I didn't wish to share my blog with your readers. I would not have left such a long comment if I was pretending to be someone I am not. I have more important things to do in my life and I am too old for pretending :)
Please feel free to email me and I can give you more personal info to 'verify' myself. I would have emailed you personally but I couldn't find an email address for you on your blog.
You are right though - the CDC link the first anonymous gave you is not right but I am sure it is just a glitch - you can get a lot of autism info from that site.
Liz
autism_thenewnormal@yahoo.ca
Hi Sandy, it's me Aldona. I was the first anonymous person who posted and left the CDC link. I thought I signed my name but I guess I didn't. Anwyay, it's me, and I just want you and all your readers to know that I just tried the CDC link again and it worked for me. Perhaps after millions of people watched Oprah yesterday there were too many people trying to get on the site all at once making it crash or something. I don't know...but it works now. I just read what the other people wrote and I think it's a very interesting topic indeed. One that I'll keep in mind when it's time for Heather's shots.
I hope you are well, and the next time I post I'll remember to sign my name. oh and by the way, that was the first time I've ever posted on your blog, just incase you are wondering if I was an anonomous writer in the past or something. I hope you are having a great day and give Noah a big cuddle for me.
All the best,
Aldona
Oh, I just realized that you can't click on the link and have it work....you have to copy and past it into the website Address toolbar.
Happy reading,
Aldona
Thanks, Liz!
I certainly wasn't trying to accuse you of anything. Thank you for being understanding to the situation bc I just referred alot of ladies from a baby board I visit to read your informative comment!
No worries Aldona! Thanks! :)
It's just that some friends of mine in the past have been hurt by fake blogs, fake names, etc.
When we're talking about when to feed our babies solids or when will our babies sleep through the night, it is not harmful if someone was "fake" posting. But when we're talking about a serious disorder such as autism, I don't want people to be misinformed. :)
Thanks for this blog. I have a two month old baby boy that I'll be taking in for shots this Friday. I read your blog and turned around to discuss it further with my husband. Is it really necessary? And what if we didn't get him immunized...what are the dangers in that?? The feedback has been great and we've got some thinking to do over the next couple days.
Thanks again!!
Kathy
Hi Kathy,
I did Noah's vaccs at 2 months and he did great, and will do his 4 month shots--BUT I WILL BE ASKING MORE QUESTIONS. :)
Just don't be afraid to ask the questions. That's the main thing. And don't feel pressured into making a decision either way. The vaccinations are defintely benefical. I know that a friend of mine who lives in NS contracted the MUMPS! So imagine if we didn't vaccinate our LOs?
I do believe it is the MMR shot at 12 months that is the concern.
We will be going ahead with the scheduled vaccinations, but I will not be doing the chicken pox vaccine and have not decided on the Meningitis one at one year. The MMR I will be asking about more when the time comes which I believe is 12 or 18 months. :)
Thanks for visiting my blog!
One thing to consider, too, Kathy is that children do need up-to-date vaccines for pre-school and elementary school and proof of that(at least in Canada). I know the chicken pox is optional, I am not sure which of the others are. I agree with you, Sandy, get all the information you can, to be sure you are not just "going with the flow" with no real knowledge on the topic. I have been fortunate that my dr has given me guidance without my asking, but that is not always the case. It is ok to ask questions, for sure...it is your child's well being.
BTW, I don't mean to single you out, Kathy, just wanted to help you consider everything before you make a decision. I know Sandy is not against vaccinations altogether, just wants to be sure she has all her questions answered before she proceeds with the vaccine at 12 months.:)
I just wanted to add one more thing that you and the other moms might want to ask questions about. The MMR vaccine itself is not actually the issue. It was the thermisol in the vaccine that was the centre of the studies and issues. Thermisol is ethol mercury and was used as the suspension in the shot. Thermisol is no longer used in MMR vaccines though I have heard that it is in some flu vaccines still because of the different companies that produce it and such but I can't verify that. Children that developed autism like symptoms around the time of the final shot but that had a decrease in symptoms with diet change are thought to have a sensitivity to mercury. Because we do eat many food stuffs that do contain traces of mercury and because we do introduce our children to many new 'adult' and processed foods around the time of the final MMR vaccine there could be a link there.
Talk to your doctor about mercury in your foods, your environment and your vaccines and educate yourself online or by reading 'cause not all doctors know what they are talking about!
I personally do not get any other shots for myself or my family. We do not get flu shots and we never had chicken pox vaccines (and I got chickenpox for the first time at 36 years old!). I am not even sure of the HPV vaccine for my daughter yet.
I am by no means a new mom (my oldest is almost 15) but I know what new moms go through. My best advice is research on your own and talk to your doctor about your findings. If your doctor brushes you off or isn't lessening your fears - find a new doctor. When our babies are born we get our 'mothering instinct' at the same time. We know what is best for our babies even when others try to tell us we are wrong.
Liz
Canadian and American vaccinations are not created equal. What you see on TV and read in most popular magazines is not always accurate for us Canadians.
I brought up the mercury in vaccines with my doctor when my son was 2 months. He came back with tons of medical facts about how Canadian vaccines are preserved different and by different manufacturers. He did alot to put my mind at rest. It was the effort to calm my fears that impressed me the most. Seeing the facts and listed contents in black and white helped me relax.
I think you can never be to careful. Asking is better then living in the dark. Cheers!!
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