Vaccines have long been a source of contention for parents of children with autism, and for parents hoping to prevent autism in children as well. Though the scientific community agrees, for the most part, that vaccines do not cause autism, there are some parents who do not agree. A theory that too many vaccines in early childhood can cause autism has now been disproven by a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control. The study was announced on March 29 in the Journal of Pediatrics.
According to the study, nearly one third of parents feel that too many vaccines can lead to a diagnosis of autism in young children. As a result, many parents choose to delay the recommended vaccinations or refuse them entirely. Parents expressed concern over the number of vaccines given on a single day at several points throughout a child's early years and the total number of vaccines administered before the age of two.
The research included nearly 1,000 children with and without autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The study showed that the number of antigens that children with ASD were exposed to was not higher than the number that children without ASD were exposed to. Though the number of actual vaccinations is higher now than in years past, the study does point out that children are actually exposed to fewer antigens than they were in the past.
According to those who conducted the study, the final finding was, "The possibility that immunological stimulation from vaccines during the first 1 or 2 years of life could be related to the development of ASD is not well-supported by what is known about the neurobiology of ASDs."
This information is not necessarily new, in fact, a study conducted in 2004 showed that vaccines do not cause autism. It remains to be seen whether this new study will have an impact on parents who choose not to vaccinate young children.
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