Fever and Autism

OK, I've got a bit of a soap-box feeling about this issue.... the autism and vaccination thing.  I've been so blessed to have very average children, with no hints of autism, Aspergers, or anything on the spectrum.  I do know lots of parents who are worried about vaccines playing a role in the onset of these disorders autism spectrum disorders or ASD.

I believe the link between vaccines and ASD has been thoroughly  laid to rest.  Still, many really cling to this as a reason to delay or even refuse vaccinations for their children. The issue I have is twofold: one, by your not vaccinating you're putting my child at risk for disease.  Two: by maintaining focus on the vaccine/ASD link the energy/intellect/resources of researchers investigating ASD is distracted, sidetracked, derailed, and unproductive.

Case in point, this paper coming form the May 5 issue of The Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders "Is Maternal Influenza or Fever During Pregnancy Associated with Autism or Developmental Delays?  Results from the CHARGE (CHildhood Autism Risks from Genetics and Environment) Study."

This study looked at over 500 kids who have been placed on the ASD.  Over 50% of moms reported having a fever while pregnant. Synopsis by Medscape: "Fever during pregnancy is linked to a 2-fold increased risk for ASD or developmental delay (DD) in offspring, new research suggests. However, using medication to lower the fever may counter this effect.


'The inflammatory process may have a damaging effect on the developing fetus in some women," lead author Ousseny Zerbo, PhD, now a postdoctoral researcher with the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research in Oakland, said in an interview with Medscape Medical News. "These results call for more studies looking at inflammation during pregnancy and risk of autism,' he added."

Bottoms up, little worms!

Caenorhabditis elegans Battling Starvation Stress: Low Levels of Ethanol Prolong Lifespan in L1 Larvae

So.... 
"Starving worm larvae that usually live 10 days could survive 20 to 30 in the presence of alcohol. "

I'm not lazy, I'm immunizing my kids.

I like to think I'm a loving and attentive mother. A clean one, not so much. So when some scrap of information comes in that makes me feel lauded for my laziness, I embrace it. Today's article comes through the graces of Uncle Jim, and the NEJM.  "Exposure to Environmental Microorganisms and Childhood Asthma".  I just love these medical titles. They really tell you what you need to know in as few words possible.

The punchline.
So, kids on farms as compared to kids not raised on farms (most of the kids I know) have less asthma, breathing problems, etc.  Why?  Well, I always thought it was because they were exposed to more things as kids, so their immune system got an extra workout.  This article supports this and gives some proof as to why.

What did they do?
Two big studies looked at how much bacteria farm kids as opposed to city kids were exposed to. Two separate methods were used, one used a fancy type of flypaper to trap bacteria, the other looked at mattress dust collected with a vacuum. Gotta love how low-tech can give high-quality data.  Mix the bacteria collected with standard culturing and staining techniques and fancy DNA sequencing and showed the farm kids were exposed to not only a greater number, but a greater variety of bacteria and fungus than the city kids. And those farm kids, in all their wholesomeness, had fewer cases of asthma and atopy than the non farm-kids.

Why is this important?
Well, it's been known for some time that kids on farms, or kids exposed to lots of dander, bugs, dirt, etc, actually do better in terms of autoimmune issues (asthma, atopy, and the like) than kids kept in a cleaner environment.  While this study was not absolutely connect the dots to bacteria/fungi exposure and bolstered immune system, it brought us closer.  So, maybe it's not so bad when, at Grammy's house, my 1 year old rubs her piece of bread on the floor where the dog's fur lays in small tufts, and I, much to my parents' chagrin, let her take a bite.  Maybe it's OK to let her eat a little bit of dirt.  OK, a lot of dirt.  Maybe exposing her to lots of little bugs at an early age is gonna help her not have to buy lots of Benadryl, Allegra, and whatever other miracle antihistamine is made in the future.  And maybe I can stop feeling a smidgen of Mommy Guilt over letting her be a kid. Maybe she knows something I don't.