Is the modern western lifestyle responsible for the increase in autism?

Saturday, March 30, 2013 by: D Holt
Tags: western lifestyle, autism, MMR vaccines

(NaturalNews) There have been literally hundreds of research projects looking into the possible causes of autism. Many have linked autism to vaccines, diet and chemicals in our environment. Others have linked autism to other, more bizarre causes such as jaundice and sociological issues.

Many of these studies have been statistical, taking the people who have autism and looking for trends in data about them to obtain a "best guess" as to what the cause is. These statistical studies often use small samples and therefore have large margins of error. The most reliable research is done when large numbers of people are involved.

Many of the suspected causes of autism are recent additions to our lives. These causes fit the pattern that autism has increased since the introduction of vaccines, the increased use of chemicals in food and environmental pollution. But bizarrely the same correlation fits the increase in broken families, increase in EMF radiation and the increased use of deodorant.

MMR?

Not all of the suspected causes that correlate statistically with the increase in autism can possibly be causing autism. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that the MMR vaccine triggers the onset of autism. There are many stories told by parents of autistic children that their children were developing normally until they received the MMR vaccine. Often, the reaction to the vaccine was that the child developed a high temperature and may have had a rash or seizure. After these symptoms passed, the child began to miss their developmental milestones and their personality began to change. The child is then eventually diagnosed as autistic. This is a common story and not one that can be ignored when the increase in autistic spectrum disorders also matches the introduction and use of the MMR vaccine.

But what of the other possible causes? Could it be that older mothers are to blame, or those who have a child too soon after the previous one is born. Statistically these sections of society fit a trend of having increased numbers of autistic children but there are too many cases that do not fit this group. One trend in the UK is that there seems to be an increased percentage of children diagnosed as autistic from poor backgrounds and while this could be due to misdiagnosis of behavioral issues caused by deprivation, it could also be because in the UK, the parent of an autistic child receives an allowance from the government to help pay for their care.

The increase in autism is not just restricted to the poor or older mothers or those with big families. The increases in the western world are across all social groups, all income brackets and all races. Whatever the real cause of autism is, it is a universal factor that is affecting everyone and only those who are susceptible are developing the symptoms. This means that it is an environmental factor, something in the food or water supply or something that is administered to almost everyone. All of these are in some way affected by our modern approach to life. The environment has been polluted, our food is modified with artificial colors, flavorings and preservatives, our water is chemically treated and almost everyone is pumped full vaccines by the age of two.

It is society's duty to find out and prove what is causing autism as it is a creeping threat that threatens the functioning of our future society.

Sources:

http://www.ageofautism.com/2008/02/mmr-and-the-sim.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-20493360

http://healthland.time.com

http://www.dailymail.co.uk

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk

http://theweek.com/article/index/238898/13-things-linked-to-autism

http://www.prevention.com

http://vitals.nbcnews.com

http://medcitynews.com

About the author:
D Holt has written over 200 articles in the field of alternative health and is currently involved in research in the UK into the mechanisms involved in healing due to meditation, hypnosis and spiritual healers and techniques. Previous work has included investigations into effects of meditation on addiction, the effects of sulfites on the digestive system and the use of tartrazine and other additives in the restaurant industry. new blog is now available at http://tinyurl.com/sacredmeditation or follow on twitter @sacredmeditate