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MMR doctor says: Treat autism with diet and drugs
Last updated at 22:52pm on 03.02.07
Transformation: Joanne Burke put autistic son Darryl on a special diet
The controversial doctor who started the MMR scare will return to Britain this week to issue a stark new warning about autism and claim many child victims don't need psychiatric help.
Dr Andrew Wakefield will claim that thousands of children with autism should not be receiving psychiatric help, but should be treated with drugs and a change in diet.
His assertion will anger the Government and doctors, who are desperate to draw a line under claims by Dr Wakefield in 1998 that the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine was linked to autism and bowel disease.
Share your thoughts on Dr Wakefield's opinions in readers' comments below...
Dr Wakefield will tell a conference on autism in Bournemouth that many children receive inappropriate care because it is largely considered a neurological condition. He is convinced that many are suffering from the bowel condition autistic enterocolitis and could be relieved of their symptoms - both physical and behavioural - if doctors were willing to treat it 'properly'.
He claims a climate of fear among doctors after the MMR controversy means few are willing to consider a link between autism and bowel disease.
The National Autistic Society says that some doctors are unaware of the treatment options. But it warns there is no established link between autism and bowel conditions.
"Most children diagnosed with autism tend to receive a psychological or behavioural programme because no other medical condition is indicated," said Richard Mills, director of research at the charity.
Dr Wakefield's rare trip back to Britain from America to speak at the Autism Is Treatable conference - funded by the parents of autistic children - comes amid growing criticism of his work.
At least 31 studies have found no association between MMR and autism and he has been ostracised by the medical profession.
But Dr Wakefield, who faces a General Medical Council hearing into his conduct this year, remains convinced there is a link.
He said: "The view among the medical profession is that autism is an incurable, untreatable problem, which it is not. The treatment is largely in the domain of psychiatrists.
"But it is not a psychiatric disease and it is not just a neurological disease. It is a disease that affects the brain rather than being simply a brain disease.
"A lot of the children's behaviour is linked to the pain they suffer. The children do something entirely appropriate for someone in pain whose ability to communicate is impaired.
"The changes we found in the intestines of some autistic children can be treated using diet or conventional anti-inflammatory drugs. When they are treated, a lot of the intestinal and behavioural problems are resolved.
"However, many children diagnosed with autism are not getting the treatment they need and, if they are, it is clandestine. There is a real fear among the medical profession about becoming involved in this whole area."
About one in 100 children is thought to suffer from autism.
Darryl Burke was two years old when a doctor found he wasn't speaking, making eye contact and had behavioural problems. He was diagnosed as autistic.
He also suffered from chronic diarrhoea, but NHS tests found no cause for the problem.
Then his mother Joanne was advised by a neighbour to change his diet. After four days of cutting out dairy and gluten products, his bowels were much improved.
Encouraged by the results, Mrs Burke found a diet on the internet for allergy-induced autism. She said: "Within a week he was looking at us, his bowels improved and he said his first words. He was almost four."
Unable to get further help on the NHS, Mrs Burke and her husband Peter went private. "We couldn't believe the difference between NHS testing and the private testing," she said.
"The private tests showed up all kinds of things - blood in the stools, bad bacteria, inflammation of the gut and the fact that he was lacking essential vitamins and minerals."
Mrs Burke, 36, from Manchester, said: "These children are treated for a psychological disorder but they have underlying medical problems. Treating these can lead to real improvements."
Darryl, now seven, attends a school for children with learning difficulties.
Reader views (11)
Here's a sample of the latest views published.
I have a 2 year old son who has had all of his vaccinations except MMR. I refuse to have it done. My son suffers many allergies and I am afraid of what would happen to him if I exposed him to the MMR vaccination. I think vaccinations period are what is causing so many allergies in children today.
- Krista Norris, Quispamsis Canada
I do have a doubt about this issue of MMR vaccination. I say this not to alleviate any one. Because my son is the sufferer. He was normal till the age of 2 yrs, doing all his day to day activities. But today he is five, still self reliant but could not speak as a normal child.
- Samuel, UK
I agree with Dr Wakefield changing the diet of a child with autism can help reduce the symptoms and help the child develop at a 'normal' rate with added catch up to what they are delayed in, although this may not help all children on the autistic spectrum as no one knows for sure what causes it.
- Liz, Kent, UK
My son has autistic symptoms, and rather than take him to the typical intermediate schooling units, which I have nothing against, we took him to Family Hope Center in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania. They prescribed a lot of things which seem like hocus pocus to the average person, but there is a science behind everything that they do. One of the changes was a major change in diet, which was hard on the family. No sugar, no wheat, no dairy for my son. It was a big adjustment at first, but now my 3.5 year old is following commands and is a lot more interactive than he was 6 months ago. In the last 5 months, he made 7 months of progress, so he is progressing now at an 125% rate, or faster than a normal child. He still has a ways to catch up, as even though he is near 4 he is only at a 2.5 level. But he's making progress...So I agree with this article...
- Stephen Staedtler, Warmnster, PA
Although we have never had any direct association with him, we are very grateful to Dr Wakefield for his research into the possible connection between bowel disease and autism. We understand that his research has now been confirmed independently in other parts of the world and we are at a loss to understand why the Department of Health has not examined one child to determine the accuracy of Dr. Wakefield’s findings.
After our own wee boy was diagnosed with ASD, we were initially led to believe that not much could be done for him. However, after learning about the possible connection between gut issues and autism we began to address these issues through diet and supplementation. We also realised that he was suffering from pain, which we have treated symptomatically with anti-inflamatories. There has been a marked transformation in our wee boy. He is no longer distant, crying constantly, barely sleeping or self-harming. He is no longer regressing but is in fact now constantly improving and we anticipate that he will be completely recovered from this condition.
Thank you Dr. Wakefield for having the courage to stand for the truth.
Richard & Norma Iredale
- Richard & Norma Iredale, Livingston, Scotland
Can someone let me know please where and when this conference - which Dr Wakefield will be talking at - will take place, and if there is a website for the conference where you can register, etc. Any further information would help and would be greatly appreciated.
- Dr Philip Esper, London, UK
Dr. Wakefield is one of my top ten heroes. Without his research thousands of children would not have received help with their medical conditions. My son and nephew and so many autistic children have benefited from his research. The biomedical approach to autism treatment has been the most effective in my son's life, and adds immeasurably to the behavioral therapy and other therapies we do.
The parent driven researchers and researchers who ARE parents of autism spectrum children should be receiving the millions of pounds and dollars that governments waste on pie in the sky genetic research. We need treatment, not just prevention.
- Angela Lowry, Broken Arrow Oklahoma USA
My beautiful 3 1/2 year old son has autism. Since putting him on a special diet and treating his gut issues he is coming on in leaps and bounds everyday. Autism is not a psychological dissorder for my child. A year ago he would stand in front of the TV all day in a trance. He did not know who we were. He would cry constantly in pain and would hardly sleep for crying due to his terrible constipation. After doctors tests showed there was nothing wrong in his gut we paid for private tests to be carried out. The results showed that our son had yeast, a very high level of harmful bacteria and very low levels of vitimins and minerals. When we took gluten and dairy out of his diet, we got eye contact and a connection. When we addressed his gut problems with medication and supplemented his low vitamin levels we got so much more. Our son now smiles, laughs, talks and attends our local nursery where he has friends. When will the NHS realise that funding and research needs to be obtained to look into these treatments for our children? Like many parents up and down this country we continue treating our son and watch him improve each day, it is a long bumpy road, sometimes we go back on ourselves but our love for our children keeps up going. If autism is a psychological disorder, why are so many children improving like my son by addressing medical problems? We need to act now as autism is a growing epidemic and to not do so is a crime to these children and their families.
- Sarah Childs, Bromley, Kent
I have a great respect for Dr Wakefield's work. I am convinced that conditions in the gut affect behaviour and cognition, and look forward to advanced treatment, as well as diet changes, for gut problems being widely available and prescribed for children on the autistic spectrum. Although I have no personal experience of it, I can readily believe that some children respond badly to the mmr, resulting in measles colonizing in the gut and causing pain and autistic symptoms.
- Abigail Floe, Richmond UK
I totally agree with Dr Wakefield and Mrs Burke.
Richard Mills is stated as saying no medical condition is indicated - I have not met a mainstream medical professional yet who would even consider looking for one - if you don't look you'll never find.
Thank goodness parents care enough about their children to look for themselves.
- Mandi Rodwell, Poole Dorset
My grandson who is three has been diagnosed with Autisim. He has the typical symptoms of Autisim. He speaks in his own language and repeats and does not make eye contact most of the time. He also has bouts of behavior problems. However, after reading about the bowel problem I wonder if this could pertain to him. He is constantly constipated and will bleed. He does not want to eat and sometimes I wonder if he can. Could this be an Autistic allergy?
- Brenda Williams, Kennett, Mo. USA
