There are a few controversial studies that have been in the news recently and I'm curious to hear how you all weigh in on them. First off, let me just say that I've always been skeptical of "studies show" type things because you have to really look at the study closely to see if what they did was enough to get a clear answer. In school I felt almost any data could be construed to "prove" any projected hypothesis.
Immunizations and autism
I hadn't heard of this one until a friend emailed me about it recently. From what I could gather from a quick internet search is that this one is more anecdotal than medically proven. That doesn't mean that it's not true. It also doesn't mean it is true. So, apparently there are certain vaccines that are thought to cause autism. (I think the measles-mumps-rubella is one, and there might be others.) In a quick internet search, I've found articles claiming studies prove the link between the two and other articles claiming studies have proven no link. What do you think? Will you vaccinate your kids? I personally have a hard time believing this connection, but I've been wrong before.
Little Einstein DVDs (and other TV) may contribute to ADHD and other developmental problems
Matt's pretty opposed to any sort of TV until the age of 2. That includes the Little Einstein DVDs, Disney shows, etc. The content is not necessarily the concern, but the idea that too much visual stimulation too early may produce problems later on. I think a little TV here and there isn't that big of a deal. I do think that lots of TV viewing could be a contributing factor to the increasing number of crazy school kids. My sister was shocked this year when she returned to teaching 2nd grade as to how many CRAZY kids there were. Bouncing off the walls, violent, etc. It would be an interesting subject for a doctoral thesis if I were to ever do one. So, TV or no TV in your opinion? Just curious.
27 comments:
I've heard a lot of buzz about the possible vaccine-autism link, but mostly from parents who are anti-vaccines. Though I firmly believe that vaccines are good and necessary, I do plan to ask Garrett's pediatrician what his opinion of the supposed link is (especially since, like you said, I understand that the biggest concern is with the MMR vaccine, which is typically given at 12 months). Ultimately, I will let Garrett have the vaccine, but I'm still curious to what the doctor will say. I did read somewhere, though, of one pediatrician's opinion on the subject. She said that yes, the more obvious autism symptoms usually correspond with the timing of when the MMR vaccine is given, but that in almost all cases that she's had involvement in, it was very obvious to her from day 1 that the children would eventually be diagnosed with autism. So, basically, an experienced doctor will pick up on autism symptoms long before the more obvious symptoms do which lead to an official diagnosis, proving, in her mind, that the MMR vaccine does not cause autism. I, personally, find myself siding with that opinion.
As for TV, I believe that, like in most things, moderation is the key. TV by itself is not evil. It will not ruin my children if they watch it occasionally. However, it very possibly could ruin my children if I let them become couch potatoes.
When Janelle was 6 months old this crazy lady came up to me and told me not to get Janelle vaccinated because it will cause her to get autism (she was the mother of twins both of whom had autism). Way to freak out a very young, new mom! As soon as I got home I frantically researched it online getting both negative and positive answers. Then I asked my uncle about it (who's a family practice physician), and he said the same thing that Lindsay said, that the obvious autism symptoms occur about the time that infants get the MMR vaccine, but in almost all cases, it is obvious from day one that they have it. So it's really just coincidental timing. That's my position on it too. I personally think that not getting babies vaccinated is more harmful.
As for tv...I believe in moderation in all things. Quite honestly, neither of my kids were even interested in tv until about 18 months. They'd maybe glance at it for a few seconds and then run off to find something better to do. Spencer just barely started really liking one of the Baby Einsteins DVDs we have. I only let him watch about half an hour each day...long enough for me to get a shower in! I'm pretty strict about tv time in our house, but it sure can be a lifesaver sometimes...especially when your kids are older!
I've also been very skeptical of the vaccine/autism link, especially since rates haven't gone down during the last few years after stopping the use of thimerosal. I've vaccinated both my kids.
I was very anti-TV and I still fight hard to keep it in moderation. We mostly use DVDs because it's easier to regulate how much time they are watching that way, but S-Boogie has started watching more PBS lately. I didn't want to do any TV under two at all, but then we started using the Signing Time DVDs for my kids and I think the benefit has been worth it. I still only let them watch once a day (30 minutes) until they are about 2 1/2 or 3. I figure that with TV there's no big rush or anything--they'll get lots of time to watch shows when they're bigger and it's probably better for their brain not to watch when they are so little. Kids learn better from maniuplating toys and interacting with people than from watching something on the TV. This one has been a hard issue for us as parents because my husband grew up watching lots of TV and I grew up in a house with no TV at all until I was 10. So we've had a lot of conflict over TV. I don't watch them to see very much, but Daddy's idea of fun is to watch Batman together. Sigh. That's when you learn to compromise...
I think I'm pretty much on the same page as everyone who's commented here. The one thing I've read through my research about vaccines over and over again is that even if there is a slight causal link (for instance, the latest idea is that autism's onset is simply sped up with that 12 month MMR vac) that there is still too much good done by the herd immunity of vaccines and that too many parents are jumping on this anti-vaccination bandwagon without having ever seen the effects of smallpox or polio or whatever. I will admit however, to breathing a huge sigh of relief when Patrick development continued to be normal well into his second year, because vaccine link or not, autism and little boys (especially) is a very real thing right now.
As far as TV....I lightened up a lot as I lived with a real life kiddo compared to my original ideals. We use Signing Time freely as a chill out time, and Patrick knows most of the morning PBS shows, but usually onle gets to watch one or so a day. He's definately watched more TV since I've been pregnant! And hubby and I have the same difference of opinion as FoxyJ...he'd watch a lot more, as would our kids, if I wasn't policing it a little. He just grew up on TV and I really didn't watch much.
Celia,
Thanks for doing this, it has been interesting to read others opinions and what they know about the subjects. I have been so stressed over the autism immunization thing. I have immunized Lily, however I am going to talk to her pediatrician at her 9 month appt. next week and see what he thinks. I really like our pediatrician, I thnink he really knows what he is talking about for the most part. Anyhow thanks..
celia, my take on the autism thing is to assume that it might be true and then weigh the risks of not getting your baby immunized. we have always felt like immunizations were really important, especially on a nationwide level, so we definitely get our kids immunized. i definitely don't want to go along with immunizations being stopped nationwide because of a very weak link to autism. we have been to foreign countries where they don't have the immunization thing down, and it is so sad to see children suffering from diseases that have been eradicated in the US. we have also taken our little children to foreign countries with diseases and been SO GLAD that they had been immunized. so i just go for it and assume it will probably be ok.
as for baby einstein, i have LOVED the videos and the "Little Einsteins" series that follows for preschoolers, but I NEVER went along with the idea that it was beneficial or educational. I just said, "This is TV, and we watch as little as possible." But I have seen benefits from the Little Einsteins especially. All of my children are familiar with classical music and love to hear the songs when they hear them in other places. So, my advice is to put it off as long as possible, but use it to help keep your sanity when you need it.
here is a quote from a news article that came out today that fits the immunization discussion:
Ethicists argue that people who refuse vaccinations are taking advantage of everyone else who has been vaccinated. Once the majority of a population is vaccinated, there are few susceptible people the disease can infect, thus lowering the odds of an outbreak.
People who refuse to be vaccinated are "free riders," Harris said. "They can only afford to refuse the vaccine because they are surrounded by people who have fulfilled their obligations to the community."
This subject is close to my heart. My nephew has Aspergers Syndrome, a disease on the Autism spectrum. I brought this exact issue up with my sister (his mother) and she said it does not change her opinion on vaccines.
Because of my nephew, I have done a ton of research. What I have read says that children whose systems are deficient in ridding their bodies of toxins may be affected by the vaccines. Vaccines have been around far longer than the recent Autism epidemic. We mothers all received the MMR shot yet do not have as many contemporaries suffering with Autism as the current generation. I think the link is far deeper than vaccines. Perhaps the studies should focus on WHY there are so many kids these days whose bodies can't "detox" themselves.
My personal opinion is that vaccines MAY not be safe for ALL children yet it would be irresponsible to not vaccinate under the current CDC program.
You ladies sure don't disappoint! I appreciate all the wonderful, thoughtful responses!
If I had children today, knowing what I know, I would still immunize them. However, I would be a lot more informed than I was when I had kids. It is my understanding that it is the mercury base that has caused most problems. Probably because of numerous lawsuits most immunizations are no longer in a mercury base. But a few are. I would have to evaluate those.
I know a woman who won a lawsuit against the manufacturers of an immunization because she had home movies of him being a perfectly normal boy. Then he got his shots before going to school and he was immediately like he was retarded. He never did recover and died when about 12 years old. Another friend had a normal child and he got his school shots just days before his first day at school. She could not believe that he became a little uncooperative child. He was 19 before being diagnosed with Asbergers. He went through several school systems that thought he was incorrigible.
The last statistics I heard was that 1 in every 100 children born today would have autism. And 1 in every 5 boys would be ADHD. Girls are quite that high, but pretty high.
Is it baby shots? Maybe. All of our pesticides and herbacides on our food? Maybe. All of the low level radiation from cell phones, wi-fi, etc? Maybe. All of the chemicals we take in like preservatives? Maybe. Microwaves cooking all of our food? Maybe. High fructose corn syrup that is in everything? Maybe. PCBs (plastics) in everyone's blood that comes from who knows where? Maybe. Soda pop fed to little ones, diet or otherwise? Maybe.
We can't stop breathing, eating, watching, phoning, drinking, immunizing. But we can be more careful.
I'm just glad my kids are grown!! the mom
Amen. Now that I am going to the gym, they get A LOT more TV. They love it, and I mean LOVE IT! But moderation in all things. I don't know if it is the only time they really get tv that they watch it....good luck!
Vaccines are such a hard decision to make and of course it is up to what each parent feels best. I think they are wonderful in that they have eradicated certain diseases. My main qualm with them is that they are giving them so young to children. Children with weaker immune systems and ones with disorders can have worse side effects from vaccines- the trouble is a lot of times you might not know your child has a problem or disorder until they are over one or two or three even (Covey was almost two), and most vaccines are given before this time. I find it kind of callus of people to say that the odds of anything bad happening from vaccines are so slim that there is nothing wrong with giving them to children. I guess what I am trying to say is, parents should have absolute say (I am a firm believer that mother's intuition knows best) and that it really isn't necessary to upload brand new infants with so many foreign substances (especially vaccines for STDs while they are still in the hospital!). About autism, check out this website: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-kirby/government-concedes-vacci_b_88323.html
I don't know if vaccines really causes it or not but I wouldn't say they can't. Children who seem to have gotten autism from vaccines usually have a higher mercury content in their bodies, which mercury is a preservative used in some vaccines. You can find out if your pediatrician mixes vaccines on the spot because those vaccines will not have preservatives in them.
Here's the whole link:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-kirby/
government-concedes-vacci_b_88323.html
jdc&n: I think that vaccines are given so to children so young because it would be far worse for them if their first exposure to a disease was full strength. This way it's calculated and much, much weaker or dead. Before parents had vaccines for their children, many children (with good or weakened immune systems) died from whooping cough, measles, diphtheria and other diseases. Those same germs exist today, but today's babies are protected by vaccines.
I'd say for the vast majority of babies the benefits outweigh the risks.
But, I do agree that it should be up to the parents to follow their instincts for their own children. And I agree that the STD thing is a little over the top.
Oh, and thanks for the tip about asking if your doc. prepares the vaccines there or if there are preservatives. I've never heard of that.
Oh, and I don't think that it would be a bad idea for the medical profession to reevaluate how the vaccines are made and preserved, though it seems like that is underway at least to a certain extent.
I promise I'm not trying to just boost my comment numbers by commenting a ton on my own post!
Trying to get your comments up, eh? haha i'm just teasing! I totally agree with you about the whooping cough- that is one that can be deadly for little infants and I feel the benefits do outweigh the risks. It is a blessing that we have these things available to us. I just don't want them being shoved down my throat!
about the autism thing. I saw an opra one time with jenny Mccarthy because her son has autism. she has a book out and she devotes her life to the study of autism, anyway she belives that the shots cause it. I asked my doctor and he said he has never seen anything like it. I completely trust him. I say vaccinate. you child is more likely to get the disease from no shots than he is autism becasue he got the shot.
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1. This is me, rolling my eyes. It's about as real as ultrasounds causing lefthandedness. Silly stuff.
2. I recommend Neil Postman's "Amusing Ourselves to Death" -- great book.
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Now that I've read the other comments, I have a couple other things to say:
a) We're ashamed how much tv our kids watch. It's well below the norm, but I'm convinced TV is bad for me--let alone him
b) I don't think autism is "caused" by anything. I also don't think it's a disease or disorder. I know an autistic couple and talking with them has informed my opinions quite a bit. Also, Wired has a great article this month on it that I recommend.
c) I believe, among other things, in these two truisms: Everything is more dangerous than you think. Most people who preach danger and lunatics. These combined would seem to make me a self-proclaimed lunatic, but I like to think I'm walking the line between paranoia and ignorance and all the better for it. Or so I hope.
d) I think the main reasons Asperger's and other form of autism, and ADD and ADHD are on the rise are: first, we're looking for it; two: the diagnosis even exists; three: there's money to be made selling Ritalin; "normal "and these diagnoses are a Venn diagram with a rather larger area in the middle.
Back to my truisms, things are much worse than we think and things are much better than we think. Panicking over which is which is foolish and unhelpful. If we read a lot and do the best we can, we'll do the best we can. Put the rest in God's hands.
The important thing to remember is that it is a choice. My daughter has not had any vaccinations. I want her vaccinated and I believe I will get her vaccinated just not yet. Here are just a few reasons:
1) I believe there has not been enough research done to prove/disprove causation of autism and other such crap. It seems most of the non-anecdotal studies are done by manufacturers and other sales beneficiaries. (I always think of the anti tobacco commercials where they make fun of cigarette study findings. Cigarettes were SAFE until they weren't.)
2) I believe that the way we live limits exposure. At this point I think the risk of going into a store for an hour is less than getting several vaccines. She doesn't go to daycare and we don't spend much time with people we don't know intimately. (Side note: Hep B is spread by unprotected sex and sharing needles. There's no way she's getting that while she's a baby.)
3) I prefer to wait until she is physically strong enough and big enough. TBD. And until she can talk to tell me what's wrong and until I know her better.
4) Every time I talk myself into getting some selected vaccines a voice in my head tells me NO.
5) I reserve the right to change my mind if we have another child.
Each kid is a different case and I believe in prayer and intuition. This has not been an easy road and I have been belittled and shamed by pediatricians for just telling them that we're waiting. If there is an epidemic, Addie steps on a nail or we decide to go to Chile I’ll be the first in line. Until then we'll wait and re-evaluate.
Good points Randa.
Well, it's your choice until school age. Many places require vaccines to enter school. But by then I would imagine your child should be strong enough for them...
I just wanted to add this, I hope you have a chance to see it. I found it on the CDC site:
Since 2001, with the exception of some influenza (flu) vaccines, thimerosal is not used as a preservative in routinely recommended childhood vaccines.
I just think that the problems go much deeper than mercury. It's something that really needs to be adressed. However, my sister also had a child that became very ill from playing with a neighbor that was not vaccinated. If we choose not to vaccinate, we must make sure that their friends are.
I had a bad experience with a non-vaccinated child as well. I lived in a place where there was a whooping cough epidemic when my baby was under 6 months old. I found out that the whooping cough vaccination is not 100% fool proof, meaning that your children can still get it if they are immunized, but the risk is greatly decreased. A lady in our ward chose not to immunize her children, and her 14-month-old daughter contracted whooping cough. She sat next to me and my baby at a Relief Society luncheon while her baby was contagious, which, of course, was before she knew she had contracted the disease. A few days later she called and told me that her whole family had the disease and they were being quarantined and were asked to call everyone that they had been in contact with in the last five days. 3 of my 4 children had had severe coughs that week, so we had to go down to county health services for mandatory testing, and the test results wouldn't come back for 5 days, so they had to stay home until the results came back. Luckily, none of my children had caught the disease (hopefully since they were immunized!), but I was really mad that she had put US in danger because of HER decision not to immunize. My baby was in the age range where whooping cough can be fatal, and it didn't seem fair or responsible of her to put my baby's life at risk.
oh, also, celia, most places in the U.S. have mandatory immunizations to enter school unless you have religious or philosophical reasons that prevent you from immunizing your children. So most people still ultimately have a choice.
Thanks for that bit of info. That seems weird, though, because anyone can claim philosophical opposition to immunization, so it's really not mandatory...
Anyway, what a CRAZY story! Thanks for sharing. I think it's really easy to think that those diseases just can't touch us anymore. I'm glad your kids didn't have it!!!!!
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