New Information Suggests Prevention Approach To Autism

May 24, 2010 - PRLog -- ABA therapy and chelation are early autism interventions that make a whole lot of sense for children with symptoms of autism.  But according to Dr. Sandra Cottingham and new information about the cause of autism, new parents and parents-to-be have more influence over minimizing the risk of autism in the first place than they may realize.
       While the epidemic of autism continues to puzzle parents and pediatricians, a growing number of toxicologists and neurologists are acknowledging that there is no mystery. The cause of autism is mercury - simply the result of exposure to a developing, unprotected baby’s brain x 100 when it occurs in a baby already exposed to lead. Here’s why...
       A scientific phenomenon called potentiation is responsible for why autism is so prevalent in children today and why it affects boys so much more often than girls. LEAD exposure, also a modern day epidemic, interacts synergistically with mercury making its toxicity more than one hundred times what it normally is. Why mostly boys? Testosterone also reacts synergistically with these neurotoxins.
       In utero mercury and lead exposure happen when a pregnant mother ingests these toxic substances that are in turn passed to an unborn baby. We call this form of mercury and lead exposure EARLY AUTISM. The baby is born with irreversible changes to the brain that effect communication and sensory integration. Since lead causes its own set of learning and behavior problems, there may be additional challenges such as a low IQ and ADHD.
       REGRESSIVE AUTISM happens when there is further mercury exposure to a baby, already born and seemingly developing typically; but a baby with existing high levels of lead. Since the source of mercury that often causes an overnight change in a seemingly typically developing toddler is a vaccine, much focus has been put on this source as the single cause. The truth is that without the blood brain barrier that develops around age two, a baby may have been exposed many times to many sources of mercury. The vaccine dose of mercury is likely the proverbial “straw that breaks the camel’s back”.  
       The mercury-based preservative used in various items in our medicine cabinets and in many vaccines, food products made with High Fructose Corn Syrup, the dangerous levels found in fish, and the 49% mercury used in dental amalgam, are topped off by what is pumped out of coal burning plants and sent airborne around the world. Mercury is extremely dangerous already, accounting for the mounting epidemic of mental health symptoms we see throughout the population. But a small amount of mercury in the body of an infant already burdened with lead results in a cluster of symptoms we refer to as autism.
       Given autism’s cause, all that we know about the sources of lead and mercury, and how to live safely without becoming exposed needlessly, is having a child with autism optional?  Dr. Cottingham, co-author of Lead Babies, How heavy metals are causing our children’s autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, Low IQ and behavior problems claims, yes. With a little background knowledge, common sense and some serious diligence, there is no reason why an unborn or new born baby should be exposed to neurotoxins such as lead or mercury. Dr. Cottingham urges parents-to-be not to leave the avoidance of heavy metal exposure to chance.

# # #

Joanna Cerazy M.Ed. and Sandra Cottingham Ph.D. are authors and researchers in the field of special education.