Major autism news has a tie to Austin (house, live)

[austinHodge]

CNN released "breaking news" today about the Lancet medical journal's retraction of a 1998 paper that linked the MMR vaccine to autism. The article and video can be found here:

Medical journal retracts study linking autism to vaccine - CNN.com

The study was led by a British doctor named Andrew Wakefield. The British General Medical Council found that "Wakefield subjected some children in the study to various invasive medical procedures such as colonoscopies and MRI scans. He also paid children at his son's birthday party to have blood drawn for research purposes, an act that "showed a callous disregard" for the "distress and pain" of the children, the panel said."

Dr. Andrew Wakefield now lives in Austin and is the Executive Director of the Thoughtful House:

Dr Andrew Wakefield (http://www.thoughtfulhouse.org/staff/andrew-wakefield.php - broken link)

I would certainly think twice before sending my child to the Thoughtful House while Dr. Wakefield is involved.

[texastrigirl]

Interesting. His bio there lists nothing about his part in the Lancet study. Of course I remember it well. It put me into a tizzy. My oldest son was just a baby getting ready for his first dose of MMR when it came out. I have two nephews, one autistic and the other on the spectrum so obviously family history. Fought with my pediatrician about splitting up the MMR into the 3 distinct vacs instead of the combined. He called me inhumane for wanting to give my child 3 shots when I could give him one...said nothing of the 4 he wanted to inject in my child that day. Had to switch to another doc in the practice after that one...as I wasn't all out rejecting the vax just wanting it split up which ultimately was next to impossible to do at that time. Ending up researching the heck out of the issue and giving the MMR, just a bit delayed after my son started speaking. That blasted study caused a lot of worry...but there are a lot of parents out there who believe there is a link. So who knows...but for sure, this guy was not on the up and up presenting his research in this case.