MMR Breakthrough, Premature Babies, Pets & Health, Road Deaths, Autism, Food Safety, Skin Cancer, Sex Education, Anxiety in Pregnancy, Writer’s Cramp and More…

MMR – RESEARCH BREAKTHROUGH

If you have been interested in the MMR and autism debate and have read our factual, balanced account of the state of the research (see MMR vaccination), you will know that we have been waiting for the results of genetic tests on the measles virus found in the gut of children with autism. This week Professor John O’Leary - who worked closely with Dr. Andrew Wakefield on his original research - has found that 12 of the children who received MMR and subsequently developed regressive autism with gut inflammation have measles virus in their gut which is genetically the same as the vaccine, as opposed to the wild virus. This implies that the measles virus in their gut came from the vaccine and not from another environmental source.

Dr. Wakefield has around 180 children who appear to have developed autism and diarrhoea after the MMR – although judging from the Panorama television programme there are a few children included with other developmental problems and some children did not develop the autism for many months or years after the MMR vaccine was given. In February Professor O’Leary published results showing that from a sample of 91 affected children, 75 were found to have measles virus in their guts (82%). Professor O’Leary also looked at gut biopsies of 70 normal children and only found the measles virus in five of them (7%). It was not known then however whether the measles virus was from the wild or was genetically the same as the measles virus in the MMR vaccine. This week’s results show that, in 12 children at least, the virus is from the vaccine. Dr Wakefield describes this as “the most important piece of evidence to date in the case against the MMR vaccine.”

So What Does This Mean?

Firstly we need to read the full report which will be available when it is presented at The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland next month when the countries’ leading virologists will be able to review and comment on it. The results will also be independently corroborated by the Department of Health.

The figures do seem to indicate that the measles virus from the vaccine is somehow involved in the development of gut inflammation seen in children with autism. But we do not know if this is part of the development of the autism itself. There are other explanations possibly, such as a child in the early stages of disease with an already slightly inflamed gut is more likely to retain the measles virus in his or her gut. How could the inflamed gut cause developmental problems – is there malabsorbtion of some crucial nutrient, or does the inflamed gut produce or allow to be absorbed toxic chemicals or is there an abnormal immune reaction affecting the gut and the brain? We also do not know how many gut samples were tested to find the 12 affected children, or even the true incidence of autism in the country.

Dr Wakefield has around 180 affected families and given the publicity surrounding his research I would have expected a large number of families with similarly affected children to have contacted him. This means that it is still true that for the majority of children MMR is safe and effective. Currently the single vaccine is being given on a named patient basis by private doctors but we do not know if giving the measles virus separately is any safer than giving it in a combined vaccine – it is exactly the same virus after all and neither mumps or rubella have been implicated.

Again it all comes down to a question of risk. Professor O’Leary’s results do indicate that vaccine-related measles virus from MMR may have a role in regressive autism and gut inflammation - they certainly don’t exclude it but the sample is small and we still don’t know the full story (will we ever?). Parents of young children have three options:

1. Take the MMR – it has a proven safety record and provides good protection against infection. The Panorama programme suggested that children with auto-immune diseases in the family such as diabetes type 1 and thyroid inflammation could predispose the development of regressive autism after MMR vaccination – so discuss this with your GP before vaccination if your family is affected. The risk of autism if there is one is probably quite low. 
2. Opt for the expensive single vaccines – or lobby your MP to get them available on the NHS – but be aware that there is no guarantee that the problems associated with the combined vaccine do not apply to the single vaccines. For details on the rare side effects of the individual vaccines and how they are given read vaccines – MMR 
3. Don’t get your child vaccinated – but lots of parents are doing this, particularly in affluent areas, so there is a risk of an outbreak. The last big European outbreak of measles was in Holland and out of 2900 cases of measles, 3 children died, although the Department of Health estimates the death rate as 1 in 8000 cases in a measles epidemic. Also be aware that if you decide to opt for vaccination during an outbreak the vaccine takes at least 10 days to work once it is given and that blanket population protection is lost if children aren’t vaccinated leaving tiny babies more likely to be exposed to infection.

Read Revealed: more evidence to challenge the safety of MMR.

We will update you regularly as more research and peer review of the results become available.

SHORTAGE OF BEDS FOR PREMATURE BABIES

A report published this week highlighted the shortage of neonatal intensive care beds for premature babies. Neonatal intensive care units often operate at capacity and are always under pressure to take extra patients – a mother in early premature labour may have to be transported hundreds of miles to a hospital with facilities to care for her baby. This is dangerous as premature deliveries can occur en route without adequate resuscitation facilities and also difficult for the mother and family who usually leave hospital weeks or months before the premature baby and need to travel to see and bond with their new tiny baby.

Read Study shows lack of care for premature babies.

PETS KEEP YOU HEALTHY

A report this week showed that in families with pets children were less likely to take time off from school sick and also that they often turned to the pets for emotional support when they were feeling sad. Children aged 5 to 8 years with pets received on average 18 extra half days schooling than non-pet owning children. Researchers also found that the pet-owning children had more ‘stable’ levels of IgA – this is an immunoglobulin that helps prevent lung, throat nose ear and gut infections.

Read Pets help strengthen children's immune systems.

ROAD DEATHS

Sad figures released this week show that despite increased safety measures road deaths rose last year with three quarters of the extra deaths involving children travelling in cars. Read our section on car safety for a discussion of road safety law, keeping your child safe in cars and the safety of air bags. Always make sure that children in a car are properly restrained in a car seat suitable for their age group.

AUTISM AWARENESS YEAR

With autism so much in the news this has been declared Autism Awareness Year, and the National Autistic Society has launched a scheme to help parents of children with autism and the milder Asperger’s syndrome. The scheme is called Help! and is aimed at parents of newly diagnosed school-age children with autism. It is run as a series of meetings and talks for the parents giving them time to discuss individual issues and find out about local provision for children with autism. There are over 20 centres for help! planned in the UK. Read our article on the diagnosis of autism and also read Help! is at hand or contact the National Autistic Society directly.

FOOD & HEALTH

If you are interested in diet and food scares in the media you may have read about the Food Standards Agency plan to ban sausages! Lambs’ intestines have been used to make sausages for 2000 years and the FSA is planning to ban their use as a casing for sausages. This is because of a link (unproven) with BSE and the possibility of traces of antibiotics being found in sausage skins. The proposed ban would have a big effect on farming. You can read about it at Food Standards Agency - BSE and Sheep Stakeholders' Group to public consultation.

And comment at Sausage skin ban would mean the end of the banger. Do you think the Government should ban sausage skins, or, like in the MMR debate above, should we be told the risks and facts and allowed to make up our own minds? Let us know on our message boards.

MALIGNANT MELANOMA GENE FOUND

Malignant melanoma is the type of skin cancer that kills and it develops in a mole that has been exposed to too much sun. It has long been suspected by scientists that some people are prone to melanomas - and that for most of the population the advice to avoid all sun and wear sun suits, hats and chemical containing sunscreens at all times whilst in the sun may not be necessary - and now the gene responsible has been discovered. This will allow affected people to be extra vigilant getting suspicious moles checked and removed and avoiding the sun, and allow other people to be more relaxed about the sun (whilst avoiding sunburn obviously).

Read Gene responsible for most malignant melanomas discovered.

DOES SEX EDUCATION WORK?

Two studies in this week’s British Medical Journal suggest that teaching teenagers about sex and contraception has little effect on the teenage pregnancy rate.

A systematic review of trials on sex education found that sex education did not delay the age of first sexual contact or reduce the number of pregnancies in young women. A study on limits to teacher delivered sex education also concluded that it did not reduce risky sexual behaviour in adolescents although it did improve the quality of young people’s sexual relationships.

STAY CALM IN PREGNANCY

A report in the British Journal of Psychiatry shows that mothers who are anxious in the last few weeks of pregnancy are more likely to have sons with hyperactivity and inattention.

HOW TO PREVENT WRITER'S CRAMP

A letter from Richard Middleton, chairman of the Society of Scribes and Illuminators suggests the correct way to hold a pen or pencil to avoid writer’s cramp; there follows a lengthy discussion on left-handers options – very interesting if you have a left-handed child learning to write. Read How pens should be held.

AND FOR YOUR INTEREST

An article on safeguarding your fertility particularly aimed at mothers over 30.

Adoption by lesbian couples is discussed in this week’s British Medical Journal.

Lawyers in America are planning to sue junk food manufacturers over the obesity epidemic - read about it in the BMJ. Fast Food Nation is a book by Eric Schlosser on the fast food industry in the United States.