News Moms Need

You may have seen our past posts about vaccines and autism. As we noted in those posts, most medical experts do not believe there is a connection between vaccines (specifically the MMR vaccine and thimerosal) and autism. Today, Lancet (the medical journal that published the original study linking vaccines to autism in 1998) retracted the study. The journal found that several elements of that research were flawed.

It’s our goal at NMN to provide you with the latest health information to help you make the best decisions for yourself and family. There are many children suffering from autism and other health disorders. We hope that more research will be done to find the cause and cure of this and other health conditions affecting children. We’ll continue to update you as more information becomes available.

Yesterday, a U.S. federal court dismissed cases from parents who claimed that vaccinations caused their children’s autism. According to NBC Nightly News, ”the parents failed to show that vaccinations played any role at all in causing autism.”

While some families still fear that there may be a connection between autism and vaccines, a large body of well-done research has found no link. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the March of Dimes all recommend that children be vaccinated.

While expressing concern for children with autism and their parents, the court said the research used to support the claims was severely inadequate. In the court’s view, the medical experts testifying for the parents were poorly qualified and lacked sufficient experience. In making its decision, the court reviewed over 5,000 pages of expert testimony and 939 medical articles.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and other organizations continue to support research to better understand the causes of autism. In a statement, DHHS said that it hoped the court’s decision “will help reassure parents that vaccines do not cause autism.”

To see an earlier post and discussion on this topic, click here.

I don’t like to see children cry when they get their vaccinations. But the truth is, those shots can be life-saving.

A new study provides more evidence that there is no connection between the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine and an increased risk of autism. Researchers from Columbia University, Harvard University and other institutions published their findings in the online journal PLoS ONE.

In 2004, the Institute of Medicine reviewed all medical research about a possible link between autism, the MMR vaccine, and vaccines containing a preservative called thimerosol. The institute concluded that there was no connection.

But some people are still concerned and won’t let their children be vaccinated. This latest study should help reassure both parents and health care providers. For the safety of your children, get them vaccinated.

To learn more, read the articles Vaccinations and Autism on the March of Dimes Web site.