Pediatric Program for
Autism
Great excitement has been generated over the last year
with the recognition that the neurological and immune system
damage seen in autism may be the result of mercury toxicity
from the preservative that is used in childhood vaccines.
Because mercury is heavy, it sinks to the bottom of a multi-dose
vaccine vial so when the nurse draws up the last amount
in the vial to give to a two-month old, a tremendous amount
of mercury may be injected. Because of damage to the immune
system, these children often experience a greater than usual
number of chronic infections and untimely receive multiple
course of antibiotics. Repeated antibiotic use leads to
destruction of beneficial bacteria within the digestive
tract, creating an abnormal environment that promotes the
growth of yeast, often Candida. This organism robs the body
of nutrients, and then dumps its waste products back into
the body where they can have a toxic effect on the brain
and nervous system. In a young child who has yet to complete
full neurological development, these symptoms may manifest
as developmental delay, inability to learn age-appropriate
tasks, and erratic behavior. We routinely perform urine
testing on these children looking for these waste products
of fungal metabolism, and most of the time they are found.
Treatment is then based on eradication of the infectious
agent with cycles of anti-fungal medications followed by
therapies that are directed toward repair and restoration
of the normal intestinal flora. In addition, nutrient analysis
testing often reveals significantly low levels of important
nutrients, particularly amino acids and minerals. Often
these children eat a diet primarily of carbohydrates that
effectively “feed” the Candida and continue
promoting the infection. Dietary changes are therefore necessary
along with nutrient replacement and direct treatment of
the infection. In addition, therapies that address the removal
of heavy metals using the oral chelator DMSA are useful. |
