MMR Debate on Horizon

[egypt]

Just wondered if anyone saw this? DH and I are now concerned about dd having it - after being totally happy with the idea before! Anyone considering the single vaccines? Wondered if anyone knows about any disadvantages to this and how it is done (timescale etc).

Thanks

[bossykate]

no it is not me.

[Jimjams]

Sorry BK- can't remember who it was then.

[coppertop]

Jimjams explained it better than me! I don't believe that the MMR caused my sons' autism but that doesn't mean that I don't think the MMR couldn't have been responsible for other children's autism.

[ruty]

just want to respond to andif - it seems`so lame and lazy [not you specifically but in general]to claim, 'oh those children would have developed autism anyway'. My child has a leaky gut and i am having to modify his diet, under specialist advice, to ensure he doesn't have his development affected. If food can affect susceptible children, so can vaccines. Does bnot mean they are going to get affected whatecer you do.

[andif]

Can't figure out why just having an opinion makes me 'lame and lazy'!! I've deliberated over MMR as much as anyone? You obviously know me better than I do ruty. If we all agreed, there wouldn't be much of a debate, life would be very boring and MN wouldn't exist!!

What is offensive about suggesting that SOME (and I did emphasise NOT ALL!!!!) parents of autistic children are looking for something to blame? Surely that is the basis of any research into causes of any disease/ syndrome? Don't people want to know what to blame for breast cancer, etc etc - by finding 'blame' then we know how to avoid future generations suffering!! Why are you taking this as an insult Jimjams?!!

[Jimjams]

Because by saying "if I had an autistic child I would be desperate to blame someone" you make it sound as if we can't accept our children. Would you talk about someone with a child with dyslexia being desperate to blame someting?

My friend's dd had the MMR, then 2 days later had a series of massive seizures (not febrile), etc etc is now autistic. Anyway her paediatrician has told her the MMR (off record) is quite likely to have been responsible, although they'll never know for sure. What however is the most likely explanation- sudden seizure out of the blue 2 days after MMR with loss of skills dating from that point? Hmmm must have been that dodgy chicken sandwich she ate. Of course the association does not prove causation, but lets be sensible here.

If you go to special needs and read the thread I started yesterday on "people with autistic children" you'll see that the idea that autistic symptoms suddenly magic out of nowhere around the time of the MMR is absolute hogwash. You'll also see that the majority of people aren't desperately seeking someone to blame, and if you then listen to people talk about thier children who regressed following MMR their stories are different. If a child is pointing, then suddenly they're not- they have made a huge regression in terms of attention, understanding and socialisation.

[andif]

I think we should agree to differ on this, but I still emphasise that I had no intention of joining this thread to be offensive and thought I had made that clear from the start. I thought it was a reasoned discussion about the strengths and weaknesses of the programme. I was wrong.
I've obviously got MN all wrong and am using this as a good excuse to give up the habit and get a life.

[Jimjams]

I'm not quite sure how you've taken offence! You said the age at which autism develops is the same as the MMR- I've said read the thread I started yesterday (by conincidence) and you'll see that's not what parents are saying. Yes a lot of these programmes wheel out drs who say that (and that's who the hogwash is directed at- the argument, not you), but its not even waht researchers are saying. I read a paper this morning published this year (whcih took the view incidentally that most autism is present prenatally- not something I agreee with but still) and took the view that parents often report with hindsight that their children were different from birth because of x, y and z.

The discussion has been perfectly reasoned on here- I'm just pointing out the weakness of the arguments used in the programme (and every other one on MMR).

[ruty]

bit late now to respond, been busy, but i did say I wasn't referring to you specifically andif, just to that idea which i've heard before..