Autism Alternative Treatment – Aspergers Syndrome, Pervasive Developmental Disorders

My patients are more frequently coming in with a prescription in hand for vitamin D or more correctly, vitamin D3.  Vitamin D deficiency is being recognized by doctors as a contributing factor in many illness from autism to cancer.  According to a recent study in the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics,70 percent of U.S. kids have low vitamin D levels.  Of those, 9 percent were actually deficient., having less than half of what their body needs. The problem is kids nowadays spend more time indoors than they should.  Adults, too, for that matter.  To remedy the problem, I recommend 5,000 I.U. of vitamin D3 daily for everyone except children for whom I recommend 2,000 graduating up to 5,000 as they grow to adult size.

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How do I know if my child with autism has a vitamin D deficiency?  It is really very simple.  The Vitamin D Council offers a test kit whereby you can use a drop of blood from a home test kit to get an accurate vitamin D reading.  If you have the wherewithal to prick your child’s finger or your own finger, you can do this test without a trip to the doctor.

Based upon current research, the normal acceptable blood level is now considered to be above 50 ng/ml in both children and adults.  The cool thing about doing the test at home is you can take your vitamin D for a month or so and then retest without repeated visits to the doctor.  If you prefer to go to the doctor for the test, be sure he orders the test called 25(OH) vitamin D.  The doctor’s lab “normal” range will be significantly below the optimal 50 ng/ml so you will want to remember that when you begin your vitamin D supplementation.

Vitamin D is inexpensive and is available on line.  In my practice for people who have vitamin D deficiency, I recommend 5000 IU per day for adults, 1000 IU per day for children under age 2 and from 2000 up to 5000 for older children with dosage graduated based upon body weight.  Remember to retest during summer months. If you and/or your child are  out in the sun a lot the total dose may not be necessary.

You can get your home vitamin D test kits through the Vitamin D Council

The prevalence of autism is now one child in every one hundred ten.  What is interesting is that the researchers are touching upon environmental causes of autism and other childhood diseases.  Of course, vaccines are considered part of the environmental milieu.  They just seem to never hit the issue head on and ask if we are making our children sick.  Meanwhile, it is incumbent upon us all to do what we can to prevent autism and other illnesses in our children.  I am a strong advocate of vitamin D, as are many physicians and researchers.

From a study released online Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Assn., ahead of print publication Wednesday we learn the following:

Researchers analyzed the prevalence of illnesses by surveying the mothers of approximately 5,000 children. Data from three time periods were analyzed: 1988 to 1994, 1994 to 2000, and 2000 to 2006. In each time frame, the children, ages 2 through 8 at the start of each period, were followed for six years.

The rate of chronic conditions increased from 12.8% in 1994 to 26.6% in 2006. Latino and black youths and males were more likely to have health problems.

“We have a whole different set of conditions we’re looking at today and a broader set of definitions for illnesses,” said Halfon, who wrote an editorial accompanying the study. “We’re seeing bigger increases in obesity, attention deficit disorder and other mental and behavioral conditions. Part of that has to do with the kinds of environments in which children are growing up.”

Again, I say, take your vitamin D, give it to your kids.  There is more information on other blog posts listed below.

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Does Vitamin D Deficiency Contribute to Autism?

There are a few known risk factors for autism, not the least of which is a vitamin D deficiency.  I listed a few risk factors for autism in my last blog and here are some known to be associated with onset of autism symptoms:

• Hepatitis B vaccine given at birth triples autism risk.
• Frequent ear infections.
• Frequent use or overuse of antibiotics. Parents report that their healthy babies get ear infections, treatment with anti-biotics, multiple vaccinations, and then develop autism.  Most of the time we only look at the last trigger to this disease, vaccination.
• History of reacting to vaccines.
• Mother has asthma or allergies.
• Mother has history of Rheumatoid Arthritis or Celiac Disease.
• Either parent has history of Type 1 Diabetes.

Don’t neglect to give your children vitamin D.  Normally children can have about 1000 IU total from supplements up to about age three and then they can have the dosage increased according to their weight up to 5000 IU in adulthood.  If you have children requiring the 1000 IU you can give them ½ a 2000 IU capsule or pearl per day.

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I have said it before and will continue to urge all our readers to not only give your children with autism symptoms vitamin D but take it yourself. In last week’s newsletter, Mercola made a great case for the importance of avoiding vitamin D deficiency. Experts are now saying that vitamin D deficiency may be common in our culture. Vitamin D is inexpensive and easy to take.  I personally take 4000 IU per day.

Most children with autism symptoms suffer from what is termed “regressive autism”. This means that the child was not born with the condition but was developing as a healthy,  normal kid until somewhere between the age of one and three. Then, with no apparent warning, the child regressed into autism symptoms. A high percentage of parents of such children swear that the regression started after a routine childhood immunization. Whether the vaccines are connected with development of autism is hotly debated with the parents on one side and the pharmaceutical industry on the other.  In future blog posts I will discuss preventive measures parents can take, including taking of vitamin D, also previously discussed. Here are some of the known risk factors for development of autism.

• Boys 3 to 4 times greater risk than girls.
• Family History.. 7% of families with one autistic child will have a second autistic child.
• Children with certain neurological disorders.
• Children born to men 40 years or older were almost six times more likely to have autism spectrum disorder than were children born to men younger than 30 years.

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Autism is an overwhelming, heartbreaking epidemic. One theory of possible cause is vitamin d deficiency.  Vitamin D deficiency has statistically been on the rise approximately parallel to the rise in autism symptoms.  Some Vitamin D experts have theorized that Vitamin D deficiency may be a contributing factor in the autism symptoms epidemic. A study is under way to test the theory and I will talk about it in a later post.

The latest statistics tell us that one of every 110 children, both boys and girls, born will have autism.  The prevalence is worse in some states and here in Missouri we have the unbelievable prospect of one boy of every 52 developing autism symptoms.  This is horrifying and is unacceptable.  In the very near future, autism will be effecting most families in the country.  It dwarfs the other epidemics of our time including the polio epidemic of the 1950’s.  In my blog posts during the next few months I will address the questions that everyone, especially the media, should be asking:

• Is there a simple vitamin that can help prevent and/or treat autism?
• What can be done to prevent autism during pregnancy?
• What can be done to prevent autism in childhood?
• What are the risk factors for autism during pregnancy?
• What are the risk factors for autism during childhood?
• What can be done to prevent autism Google
• What causes autism?
• Do vaccines play a role or not?
• Does overuse of antibiotics contribute to autism?
• What are biomedical protocols for autism treatment?
• The success had by Jenny McCarthy and many others.
• What are the political ramifications?
• The incestuous relationship between pharmaceutical companies and the National Institutes of Health.
• The autism cover-up.

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Does Vitamin D Deficiency Contribute to Autism?

Researchers have noted that the increase in incidence of autism has paralleled an increase in prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency.  Vitamin D is synthesized in the skin by exposure to sunlight.  Thirty minutes of exposure will provide the body’s Vitamin D requirements for a full day.  Due to urging by medical authorities over the last decade we have been limiting our exposure to sunlight resulting in an across the board deficiency in Vitamin D.  We stay out of the sun and when we are out in it, we use all kinds of sun blockers on our skin to filter out the natural benefits of sunlight.  During winter months the problem is compounded. Informed doctors are now routinely testing patients for Vitamin D and recommending it when indicated.   It has been theorized that a vitamin D deficiency plays a role in autism starting with the pregnancy.  It has also been implicated in a number of other conditions including colon cancer.

A call for Vitamin D and autism study participants

A study is under way which will test the theory of a Vitamin D and autism connection. Funded by the Autism Research Institute,  the purpose of this study is to determine if autism can be prevented in the newborn sibling of a child with autism through the use of Vitamin D3.  If the theory is proven to be correct it will constitute  a tremendous leap forward in the battle against autism.

The investigators are seeking families who currently have an autistic child and are either pregnant or planning a pregnancy. The mother will be required to take Vitamin D through the pregnancy and the child will be given the vitamin up until age three at which time an evaluation of the child for autism will be conducted. There is no risk and no cost to participants. Anyone desiring all the details on the study can contact me.

I personally take 4000 IU of Vitamin D per day and urge all my readers to do so as well.
If you want to have your blood levels of Vitamin D tested, ask your doctor to do the 25(OH)D test.  The experts tell us the optimal blood level should be around 50 even though the lab report normal range will be down around 30.

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