Soaring Autism Rates Linked to Environmental Causes September 2, 2009
Posted by Daniel Downs in health, medicine, news, research.1 comment so far
A study recently published in the journal Epidemiology has suggested that rapid increases in autism rates in California cannot be explained by migratory trends and looser diagnosis criteria, but is instead most likely down to environmental exposures. Not exactly news to those well versed in natural healing, but perhaps such findings will finally represent a breakthrough of sorts for the scientific and medical community.
Autism Symptoms and Statistics
Autism is characterized by difficulties in relating to events, objects and people. Some specific signs include fixation on certain physical objects, lack of eye contact, and repetitive bodily movements such as head banging.
In 1990, there were only 205 reported new cases of autism in California, while 6.2 out of every 10,000 children born in the state developed the condition by the time they were five years old. The respective figures, however, had ballooned to 3,000 new cases in 2006 and 42.5 for every 10,000 in 2001. What`s more, these numbers are not letting up and continue to escalate. Such trends are not unique to California, either, with statistics on the number of autistic children also soaring alarmingly across the United States.
According to 2007 statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in every 150 births develops autism. Its growth rate, at 10 to 17% per year, is fastest among all developmental disabilities. A London School of Economics study estimated that the condition costs $90 billion each year, and the Autism Society of America estimated that this will rise to $200 – $400 billion in 10 years (this was calculated in Feb 2003).
Details and Findings of Study
Quite amazingly, many medical officials have for years postulated that the rising trend of autism is artificial, and it only exists because of changes in diagnosis as well as migration patterns. To check things out, the study team analyzed 17 years of state data tracking developmental disabilities, as well as used Census Bureau data and birth records to calculate autism rates and diagnosis age. They concluded that migration to California had no effect on the state`s increasing autisms rates.
In addition, while doctors were found to be diagnosing autism earlier due to heightened awareness, this change could only account for a 24% increase in autism figures. Further, the diagnosis of milder cases could be responsible for another 56% of the rise, with changes in state reporting making up a 120% increase.
Put together, the increase due to these factors is still way short of the actual rise. There must thus be other very significant causative factors, likely to be environmental and genetic in nature.
Environmental versus Genetic Factors – Time for a Shift in Research
Unfortunately, research resources are currently heavily skewed towards genetic factors – funding for studies conducted on such causes of autism is 10 to 20 times as much as funding for environmental factors.
“The advances in molecular genetics have tended to obscure the principle that genes are always acting in and on a particular environment. This article, I think, will restore some balance to our thinking,” said Dr Bernard Weiss, a professor of environmental medicine and pediatrics at the University of Rochester Medical Center. He also said that “excessive emphasis has been placed on genetics as a cause”.
And it is time for mindsets, especially those of people controlling research funds, to change. “It`s time to start looking for the environmental culprits responsible for the remarkable increase in the rate of autism in California,” said Dr Hertz-Picciotto, an epidemiology professor at University of California, Davis, the leader of the study. “There`s genetics and there`s environment. And genetics don`t change in such short periods of time,” she also said.
This was echoed by Dr Weiss, who concurred that environmental factors should be more closely looked at. He also said that the autism rate reported in the UC Davis study “seems astonishing”.
All in all, the study team has advocated a nationwide shift in autism research, moving from studies on genetic factors towards potential environmental ones, such as infant and fetal exposure to pesticides, chemicals found in common household agents, and viruses. Along those lines, the dangers and effects of childhood vaccinations should be carefully investigated, too – this is likely to be a significant factor.
Environmental Causes and Factors
Strong voices, such as those belonging to some parent groups, assert that childhood vaccines are responsible. This is because a preservative used in them, thimerosal, is actually a mercury compound. But while this substance had been removed in 1999, autism rate increases show no signs of reversal. Is anyone looking into dental mercury as a possible cause?
Besides mercury, many chemicals in use today are also neuro-developmental toxins, i.e. they affect the growth of the brains, and these include brominated flame retardants (used in electronics and furniture), lead, pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls.
Other studies have shown that mothers who used pet flea shampoos had twice the likelihood of having autistic children, and that an association existed between autism and phthalates, substances used in cosmetics and vinyl. Ingredients in certain antibacterial soaps may have a part to play too, according to Dr Hertz-Picciotto, who is also a researcher at UC Davis` M.I.N.D. Institute, said to be a leading autism research facility.
In addition, there is fluoride in tap water – could it be playing a part, too? According to Dr Vyvyan Howard, a medical pathologist and toxicologist, and also President of the International Society of Doctors for the Environment, fluoride is a developmental toxin, a neurotoxin which may also affect the intelligence of the child. He feels there is no place for fluoride in our water supplies. Read more about this issue here: http://www.naturalnews.com/024855.html
What is quite clear is that there are many possible causative factors, and extensive research will have to be carried out to reveal more. “I don`t think there`s going to be one smoking gun in this autism problem. It`s such a big world out there and we know so little at this point. If we`re going to stop the rise in autism in California, we need to keep these studies going and expand them to the extent possible,” Dr Hertz-Picciotto said.
The UC Davis researchers are in the process of looking at the association between childhood exposure to flame retardants and pesticides to the occurrence of autism.
Conclusion
Autism, from several perspectives, is clearly a serious health issue. While many officials and experts are dilly dallying and perhaps finally beginning to accept that environmental causes are behind the huge surges in rates of ailments like autism and asthma, many of us have long been aware of such an (obvious) association.
In fact, knowledgeable natural health care practitioners and progressive medical doctors pay a great deal of attention on eliminating sources of environmental toxins and detoxifying their patients while working with autistic persons.
Will it be too late? Who knows. However, besides working with a behavioral therapist for immediate improvements, that is the best (and perhaps only) long-term and true solution which tackles the root causes. Medical chemical drugs do not offer true healing; they never did, and never will.
Source: Natural News, February 18, 2009
The Future of Christianity July 15, 2009
Posted by Daniel Downs in Chrisitanity, Christian nation, democracy, God, politics, polls, religion, research, secularism.add a comment
Is Christianity in the U.S. Doomed? This is the question headlining the front cover the World Magazine. The inveterate optimist and editor-in-chief, Marvin Olasky, answers this question in the article titled “The Sixth Wind?” The content of his positive response to recent gloom and doom of hopeful secularists, atheists, and Muslims comes from interviews with several different authors.
One of his sources were the co-authors of the best seller God is Back: How the Global Revival of Faith is Changing the World, John Micklethwait and Adrain Woolridge of The Economist. As their title suggests, they fail to see Christianity as a dying religion. On the contrary, it is becoming more relevant as is other faiths.
Jon A. Shileds, who wrote The Democratic Virtues of the Christian Right, also see a different picture of the politically involved religious right than the fearsome fascist described by the Left. Here again, his book title suggests what he discovered while hanging around the Right. He witnessed their leaders seeking to train there rank-and-file activist to practice respectful deliberation. He failed to infiltrate their terrorist plots against the left’s political agenda.
Olasky apparently drew on the works of other authors like Terry Eagleton’s Reason, Faith, and Revolution. His book answers the question why people are suddenly talking about God: Because “nothing else–not science, not reason, not liberalism, not economics–works.” Atheism has nothing to offer humans, only God offers hope. Even A.N. Wilson is said to have dropped his atheism.
Olasky finally directly addresses the question whether the trends represent a sixth wind of Christian revival in America. He says, “I don’t know. He says that past experience informs him that there is no reason to be depressed about our current problems. “Truth trumps everything, including liberal cleverclogs.
Olasky’s began his article with poll data that reported a 10 percent drop of Americans who identified themselves as Christian. Previously, 86 percent of Americans claimed to be Christians. Does this mean 24 percent are now atheists or agnostics? No. it just meant 8 percent more (16%) disassociated with any religion or denomination. Most still believe in God and regard religion as important to their lives.
Christianity is alive and mostly well in America.
The problem is the disassociation of the original Christian values from institutional and political affairs. The values of secular fundamentalism–atheistic humanism–pervade our key public institutions like education, big business, and government. If you do the research, you will find Darwinian evolution is underlying dogma justifying both secular fundamentalism and values of atheistic humanism. Our social problems are directly linked to the prevalence of those values in our public institutions. In education, this is called the hidden curriculum that is taught to every child and adult most of the lives most of the time. We all believe what we value and act according ly.
Source: World, June 20, 2009
Neanderthal DNA proves to be a shaky branch on the imaginary evolutionary tree July 13, 2009
Posted by Daniel Downs in Evolution science, research, science.add a comment
Is the Neanderthal the genetic link in the evolutionary tree of homo sapien sapien, otherwise known as modern humans? Not very likely.
In the the newlatter Connections, Fazale Rana summarizes research by Palaeontologists Ian Tattersall and Jeffery Schwartz that refutes the belief that the Neanderthal contributed to modern human evolution–many through interbreeding. Rana presents evidence from a study of Neanderthal and modern human dna that again refutes the connection between human and Neanderthal dna. This research was conducted by David Serre and associates at the Max Plank Institute, and was published in the journal PLOS Biology.
I guess Darwinists will have to find a different tree to climb or at least another imaginary branch. It seems the Neanderthal limb is a little to weak and shaky.
Are States Really Hurting for Money? April 28, 2009
Posted by Daniel Downs in news, politics, research, taxes.Tags: state governments
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Stateline.org recently reported that the severe recession is producing budget shortfalls in most states. In January, the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) projected overall budget deficits of state would be around $85 billion for 2010. Since then, NCSL has increased its estimates to $121 billion. The National Governors Association estimates budget gaps could grow to $230 billion by 2010, according to Stateline staff writer Pamela Prah.
States officials are proposing all sorts of tax hikes and service fee supposedly to balance their respective state budgets.
The multi-billion dollar question is whether state governments are really hurting for budget balancing cash.
According to chief economist for Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council Raymond Keating, the short answer is no. States are not actually hurting for money, and here’s why.
In a April 2 SBEC article, Keating wrote:
The U.S. Census Bureau just released data for state tax collections in fiscal year 2008. For the U.S. overall, state government tax collections increased by 3.2 percent versus the prior year. That was ahead of the inflation rate.
Even more important is to look at these numbers over a longer period of time.
Let’s take a look at the 2000 to 2008 period, for example. During that timeframe, inflation rose by 22.4 percent, based on the GDP price deflator.
At the same time, state government tax collections jumped by 45 percent.
So, state government tax collections raced ahead at twice the rate of inflation.
Factor in population growth, and per capita state tax collections still grew by 35 percent. Again, that was well ahead of inflation – in fact, 56 percent faster than inflation.
Consider one glaring example. New York state lawmakers just agreed to a package of enormous tax increases that will do some real damage to the state’s economy. The reason put forth was that the state faced a big budget deficit. From 2000 to 2008, however, New York’s per capita state tax collections increased by 53 percent. By the way, while lawmakers were hiking taxes, they also were still increasing spending.
In the end, the budget woes confronting many states are not just about the current recession. They’re more about politicians refusing to plan properly. They are about elected officials who take a shortsighted view of their jobs, by spending more and more with little regard to what might happen in a tough economy.
What I take away from the above is this: Let the spend thrifts in our state capitals cut their spending to balance their budgets or resign.
Taxpayers should stop believing the bull of their elected and unelected tyrants and start forcing them to serve the citizen-taxpayers rather than special interests that pad their pockets or swell their egoistical status. If they don’t like it, tax-paying and voting citizens should fire them and their administrative personnel who actual provide them with their special-interest-laden plans.
Taxpaying citizens can always find better managers of their collective affairs.
The Roe v Wade Knowledge Test January 22, 2009
Posted by Daniel Downs in abortion, education, research, Roe v Wade, survey.add a comment
January 22, 2009 marks the 36th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling that dramatically changed our nation.
In spite of its impact, true understanding of Roe and what it accomplished remains relatively vague in the public consciousness.
The Roe I.Q. Org has created the Roe IQ Test to measure the current awareness of Roe and its effects, as well as to provide detailed information about the ruling. It only takes a few minutes to complete the test. Your answers and results will remain 100% confidential. Click here to take the Roe IQ Test.
The State of No Child Left Behind’s Progress February 29, 2008
Posted by Daniel Downs in demographics, education, law, legislation, news, No Child Left Behind (NCLB), politics, research, welfare state.3 comments
The ambitious goal of Capitol Hill is to close the learning gap, eliminate dropouts, produce Americans with knowledge and skills enabling them to compete in a global high tech economy, and ensure all students achieve proficiency in key subjects like reading, science, and math. These are the same goals the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) promised to achieve beginning in 1965.
The ESEA was built on a prior tax enhancement program for schools where federal facilities lowered taxes revenues. ESEA expanded that federal aid program to include a number new enhancement programs (breakfast, special education, etc.) to help student from poor families.
The latest version of ESEA is No Child Left Behind (NCLB). This version attaches student and teacher achievement goals to program funding. The goals to be achieved are still those mentioned above. Under Pres. Bush, the bar of accountability was raised rankling many professional educators and educational associations.
The purpose of the charts and graphs that follow is to give us an idea of how NCLB is doing. The first chart presents the total number schools in the United States, how many schools are meeting yearly goals, how many need improvement, and how many must be closed or restructured. The latter schools have failed to achieve year goals more than 3 years. (more…)
Huckabee, the only whole-hearted, red-blooded, card-carrying economic conservative February 20, 2008
Posted by Daniel Downs in conservative, economy, income tax, John McCain, liberals, Mike Huckabee, news, political economy, politics, presidential election, Republicans, research, taxes.6 comments
As reported by Fox News, Huckabee said, “I’m more into miracles than math…. Miracles, I understand. Math is a little harder. People have said, well, you’ve got to have anywhere from 70 to 80 percent of all the rest of the delegates. That’s assuming no other delegates leave the people they’ve supported so far. … But as we all know, a candidate can say one word, do one thing, have one particular moment that can end his whole career so, you know, I’m not saying I’m just driving behind (McCain) at the NASCAR race waiting for him to lose a tire. But crazier things have happened.”
Any genuinely religious American understands something about Huckabee that liberals cannot. Huckabee believes God still works providential miracles. No doubt he is praying a lot, working a lot–that is the campaign trial, and expecting a lot. That is what people of faith do. (more…)
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