An hour before MMR and I still don't know if...

[solo]

...I'm doing the right thing. I feel very anxious about it - as I did 9 years ago with Ds and he's being assessed for Asbergers. What do I do? Dd is 18 and a half months now, so time is not on my side. I'm very worried about it...^^

[lazarou]

Go with your gut instinct

[solo]

There are so many outbreaks of measles(or German measles? can't remember which)in the area, so that's very worrying too...thanks for your answer though.

[solo]

Must be measles then. The local HCT are being very ' ooh, aah' about it anyway.
I was certain that Dd had measles a couple of months ago as she had all the symptoms, but GP said no, as the rash was slightly lighter in colour...

[solo]

I've cancelled. This is so hard.

Thank you for your thoughts ladies.

[Beeper]

why dont you get a immunity blood test done. If your child has had measles then you can kick the whole mmr into touch, rubella can be given in the teens (like when i had it at 12) and mumps is not that bad.

My DS1 was fully vaxed till the MMR screwed him up and he was fixed by a homeopath, he has never had a vaccine since. Now I have a 9 week old boy and yes its hard but my gut instinct screams NO. My DS1 has also had wierd immune reactions.

My advice to you is to start researching, big time and dont do anything until you are happy. Once its in there you cant take it back.

[giddykipper]

You're worrying me now.

DS has his MMR tomorrow.

[keevamum]

Solo I had very similar worries. I researched all that was available 8 years ago and decided to pay for single jabs. This time round a bit more research now which swayed me to go for the MMR but I waited until she was 2 and a bit as I felt she would be a bit sturdier healthwise.

[Beeper]

Giddykeeper- the key is to be 'informed'. You need to look at family history and look at the list of possible reactions. I just rocked up with my first son and gave him eveything but I just trusted the doctors, but then he started having chronic ear infections and spiking temperatures all the time, but I continued to vaccinate him, Its when he got a full blown case of measles off the MMR that ended it all, at that stage i did not even reaserch it. My DS1 was ill for weeks and covered in a measles rash. as i said a homeopath sorted it out but he has had problems since with his immune responses to things.

You need to be satisfied that it is safe for your child. My son got the disease from the vaccine that it was supposed to prevent.

[giddykipper]

That's interesting Beeper, thanks.

DS has just come off antibiotics with a chest infection. I might postpone it until he's better and do some research.

[Bumperlicious]

I've got DD's booked for next month. How does delaying it help? I'm in a terrible quandry about it. We just can afford single jabs and the trips to get them.

[Beeper]

giddykipper....whatever you do dont give it after anti biotics....anti biotics trash your immune system and his body will have no resourses to counter act the vaccine. I believe the reason my son got ill was because he had been ill from the ear infections and had been on anti Bs (lots). I would give it a few clear months for him to get better, build up his immune system with extra vitamin C. also if you do vax him then make sure he has plenty of vitamin A. Doctors will tell you to vax even when they are ill, they just want to get it done.

[Beeper]

Bumperliscious. I would just give the same advice, be sure you are satisfied by what you are doing. Its interesting that other countries have other vaccine schedules that are timed diffently to ours. I would always say never to vaccinate a child that is even mildly ill or has been ill in the recent weeks.

I would get and read the following book, this guy is a NHS GP and is not anti vaccine but tells the truth about what is in the vaccines and the potential side effects.

web.mac.com/richardhalvorsen1/iWeb/Dr%20Halvorsen/Vaccines.html

He does reccomend single vaccines with at least twelve weeks inbetween them.

As for affording them thats a hard one.

[giddykipper]

Beeper - I just rang the nurse who suggested waiting a week, "no point in overloading his immune system" she said.

[pagwatch]

You need to reaserach and make the best decision for you and your family.
My DD hasn't had it at all. She actually hasn't had any and won't.

each family history is different and each child is different but there is no perfect answer. Just research and make the decision that makes the most sense for you.

[Beeper]

she is a little wiser than most but i would wait a good deal longer than a week, but thats just my opinion and I am not medically qualified in any way.

[bogie]

I didn't have my ds done because my brother has sever autisum and the link worries me to much

[solo]

Beeper, how would I/who would I ask about an immunity blood test? would the GP be the one to ask or would I have to get it all done privately? sorry, I realise you may not know the answers to these q's, but thought I'd ask. Thank you!

[cyberseraphim]

My first son is autistic, the second isn't but I never had any concerns whatsoever about the old theory of a link with the MMR. My autistic son's speech got a lot better after his MMR booster but it's just a co incidence.

[jimjamshaslefttheyurt]

Not all autism is the same cyberseraphim.

[cyberseraphim]

I've just been reading an interesting book - Unstrange Minds by Roy Richard Grinker which gives a fascinating account of why and how the diagnostic criteria for a spectrum diagnosis are now so wide and perhaps even dangerously weak. It is hard for the general public or indeed anyone, to understand how it is possible for one child on the ASD spectrum to be studying astro physics, whilst another is non verbal. We probably do need some diagnostic clarity.

I was asked to bring my autistic son to a private appointment for his MMR booster because the HV said she didn't want him to come to the general clinic that the normal children attend. I think my son's behaviour is better than most NT children's but she made the automatic assumption that autistic children are demonic children. We need to challenge the discrimination and sometimes even hatred that autism arouses. Why can't parents get a diagnosis when the symptoms are obvious and why are services patchy to non existent?

[jimjamshaslefttheyurt]

Well I think that's changing. There's much more emphasis in the literature of the last 2 years of recognising the different subgroups. I remain unconvinced that AS and severe autism are even the same thing in many cases- biologically or cognitively. I certainly don't think there's some straight line continuum between LFA and AS with HFA somewhere in the middel. Listening to or reading stuff written by people with severe autism the problems they talk about are impulse control/movement difficulties etc. The sensory processing difficulties they describe are different too.

Likewise the immune system irregularities that have been described by this sort of study is not going to be relevant to everyone on the spectrum. Even the genetics seems to be different. In families where the parents have the broader phenotype many genes seem to be involved. In families where only one child is affected, the parents do not display the broader phenotype and the condition seems associated with single gene defects.

Yes discrimination needs to be challenged, but that doesn't mean assuming that a child who doesn't talk, is silent because they 'choose' to be as some have. You can accept autism whilst providing therapies that will aid independence and allow the child or adult to work around their condition. The problem with services is that those designed for one end of the spectrum are completely useless for those at the other. A far more individual approach for each child is needed.

[solo]

My nephew has Asbergers and is extremely intelligent - frighteningly so. He's very morbid too and gets very frustrated and angry. I don't think I've ever seen him cry.
It was his dad, my brother that said I should get my son assessed, but this was when my Ds was about 3 and I ignored him(brother). His other two younger children did not receive the MMR as he blames the MMR for his son's autism. His Ds was perfectly normal before it was given...he smiled, babbled was not awkward in his gait. Now he can't hold cutlery properly, he trips over everything, can't swing himself on a swing, doesn't smile...many, many things that are not considered normal. I can't cope with him at times(not that I have to very often)and to my shame, I didn't until recently, understand why he' refused' to hold his knife and fork properly...I truly didn't know.
I still don't know what to do re Dd's MMR, but I think for now I'll do nothing.

[Beeper]

Solo you can get immunity checks privatly at the babyjabs clinic.