{"id":4350,"date":"2016-01-12T10:53:37","date_gmt":"2016-01-12T17:53:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nebulous-oyster.flywheelsites.com\/?p=4350"},"modified":"2020-01-07T08:57:42","modified_gmt":"2020-01-07T16:57:42","slug":"whats-really-causing-autism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jennifermargulis.net\/whats-really-causing-autism\/","title":{"rendered":"What’s Really Causing Autism? My Letter to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"What

What is really causing autism? Why are autism rates on the rise? We need to get to the cause of the autism epidemic so we can stop damaging children’s brains | Screenshot from ImmunityEducationGroup<\/p><\/div>\n

Everyone wants to know what’s really causing autism.\u00a0Autism rates are at epidemical levels. The latest numbers are staggering:\u00a0Current estimates<\/a>\u00a0show that as many as 1 in 36 American children has autism.\u00a0One nonprofit organization likens the rise in autism spectrum disorders to a “tsunami.”<\/a><\/p>\n

The rates of autism continue to rise, with no abatement in sight.<\/p>\n

What’s really causing autism?<\/h3>\n

This is not about neurological differences<\/a>.\u00a0This is about environmentally induced brain damage<\/strong> among America’s children. Trying to get to the bottom of what is really causing autism has led the good folks at The Thinking Moms’ Revolution<\/a>\u00a0to put out a call to action<\/a>, asking anyone interested in\u00a0autism\u00a0to write to the Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Linda S. Birnbaum, to tell the NIEHS what environmental factors that may be triggering autism you think the government should investigate.<\/p>\n

Linda S. Birnbaum, Ph.D., D.A.B.T., A.T.S<\/strong><\/p>\n

Director, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
\nand National Toxicology Program
\nphone:\u00a0919-541-3201
\nfax:\u00a0919-541-2260
\nemail:\u00a0birnbaumls@niehs.nih.gov<\/p>\n

The health crisis of our time<\/h3>\n
\"What's

Autism disproportionately affects boys. We need to figure out why. Photo credit: flickr.com<\/p><\/div>\n

Autism\u2014or, perhaps more accurately, the neurological and immunological dysfunction that we are lumping under the umbrella term\u00a0“autism”\u2014is the health crisis of our time.<\/p>\n

Though I fret that Lyn Redwood’s assertion\u00a0that the government is going to continue to willfully ignore the iatrogenic causes of autism is correct, I wrote to Linda Birnbaum at 6:00 a.m. this morning.\u00a0I hope you’ll write to Linda Birnbaum too.<\/p>\n

Here’s my letter asking Dr. Birnbaum to investigate what’s really causing autism:<\/h4>\n

Dear Dr. Linda Birnbaum,<\/p>\n

I\u2019m an award-winning science journalist and book author<\/a> with an interest in children\u2019s health and autism.<\/p>\n

I am also a Fulbright grantee\u2014I lived and worked in Niger, West Africa in 2006 – 2007.<\/p>\n

I was also in Niger in the 1990s, working in part on a child survival campaign.<\/p>\n

I think it is important to have a global perspective on health.<\/p>\n

I have a B.A. from Cornell University, an M.A. from the University of California at Berkeley, and a Ph.D. from Emory.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been researching possible causes of autism for over ten years.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s very distressing that in the time I have been looking into what is causing brain damage among America\u2019s children as journalist, the numbers of neurologically compromised American children have continued to go up.<\/p>\n

I have no personal interest in autism\u2014my four children (ages 16, 14, 12, and 6) are all in excellent health and have not sustained any kind of genetic or environmental brain malfunction.<\/p>\n

My extensive research has a journalist has led me to suspect that two environmental factors may be directly contributing to the autism epidemic:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1) Over\/ill-timed exposure to prenatal ultrasound.<\/b>\u00a0Dr. Manuel Casanova, M.D., proposes\u00a0one plausible mechanism of how prenatal ultrasound may be disrupting the developing fetal brain<\/a>.\u00a0Dr. Casanova’s work dovetails with the work of Eitan Kimmel, Ph.D., in Israel. More about Kimmel\u2019s theories here<\/a>.\u00a0We know that autism disproportionately affects boys. This could be accounted for by the difference in timing in fetal development during gestation.<\/p>\n

\n

Pasko Rakic<\/a>, M.D.\/Ph.D.,\u00a0has been working on this issue for quite some time\u2014conducting a multi-year double blind study on the effects of ultrasound on the brains of primates.<\/p>\n

I am under the impression that his research is completed.<\/p>\n

It has not yet been published, to the best of my knowledge.<\/p>\n

A reminder that in 2006 Pasko Rakic<\/a> said publicly that we should be using the same caution with prenatal ultrasound as we do with x-rays.<\/strong><\/p>\n

2) The use of acetaminophen, especially before or after infant vaccination.<\/b>\u00a0This may be the smoking gun.<\/p>\n

Please take five minutes to read this outstanding article by Duke University research scientist William Parker, Ph.D.<\/a>, as well as the accompanying references. There is a growing body of science suggesting a possible connection between acetaminophen and brain damage<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I think it would be easy and inexpensive to design a really good study on this subject and either put the issue to rest, because it is incorrect, or definitively show that acetaminophen<\/a> should be taken off the market.<\/p>\n

We know that autism disproportionately affects boys.<\/p>\n

This could be accounted for by the more pronounced effects of acetaminophen<\/a> in the presence of testosterone.<\/p>\n

I imagine you are already familiar with these issues but I\u2019d be delighted to send you more information or to talk on the phone, if that would be helpful.<\/p>\n

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.<\/p>\n

All best,
\nJennifer Margulis, Ph.D.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\"Acetaminophen,

What’s really causing autism? Could autism in children, in part, be caused by acetaminophen? Acetaminophen, the main ingredient in Tylenol, is toxic to the liver at higher doses. But most people don’t realize it is in hundreds of medicines. Screenshot from KnowYourDose.org<\/p><\/div>\n

Published: January 12, 2016
\nUpdated: January 6, 2020<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Everyone wants to know what’s really causing autism.\u00a0Autism rates are at epidemical levels. The latest numbers are staggering:\u00a0Current estimates\u00a0show that as many as 1 in 36 American children has autism.\u00a0One nonprofit organization likens the rise in autism spectrum disorders to a “tsunami.” The rates of autism continue to rise, with no abatement in sight. What’s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":4353,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":""},"categories":[271,8275],"tags":[683,467,384,244,684,387],"yoast_head":"\nWhat's Really Causing Autism? Hint: Not Better Diagnosis<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"No one knows what's causing autism but my extensive research has led me to suspect two environmental factors may be directly contributing to the epidemic.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/www.jennifermargulis.net\/whats-really-causing-autism\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What's Really Causing Autism? Hint: Not Better Diagnosis\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"No one knows what's causing autism but my extensive research has led me to suspect two environmental factors may be directly contributing to the epidemic.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"http:\/\/www.jennifermargulis.net\/whats-really-causing-autism\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Jennifer Margulis\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-01-12T17:53:37+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-01-07T16:57:42+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/jennifermargulis.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/1451890974e2cba-600x398.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"398\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@JenniferMarguli\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@JenniferMarguli\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":[\"Person\",\"Organization\"],\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jennifermargulis.net\/#\/schema\/person\/4f4b9f697431bff90dbf687b6ae55ccb\",\"name\":\"andrew.bolsinger@gmail.com\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jennifermargulis.net\/#personlogo\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/jennifermargulis.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/favicon.png\",\"width\":200,\"height\":200,\"caption\":\"andrew.bolsinger@gmail.com\"},\"logo\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jennifermargulis.net\/#personlogo\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jennifermargulis.net\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/jennifermargulis.net\/\",\"name\":\"Jennifer Margulis\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jennifermargulis.net\/#\/schema\/person\/4f4b9f697431bff90dbf687b6ae55ccb\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":\"https:\/\/jennifermargulis.net\/?s={search_term_string}\",\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.jennifermargulis.net\/whats-really-causing-autism\/#primaryimage\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/jennifermargulis.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/1451890974e2cba-600x398.jpg\",\"width\":600,\"height\":398,\"caption\":\"What is really causing autism? No one knows. But we have some strong suspicions. Photo credit: visualhunt.com\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.jennifermargulis.net\/whats-really-causing-autism\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/www.jennifermargulis.net\/whats-really-causing-autism\/\",\"name\":\"What's Really Causing Autism? Hint: Not Better Diagnosis\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jennifermargulis.net\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.jennifermargulis.net\/whats-really-causing-autism\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2016-01-12T17:53:37+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-01-07T16:57:42+00:00\",\"description\":\"No one knows what's causing autism but my extensive research has led me to suspect two environmental factors may be directly contributing to the epidemic.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"http:\/\/www.jennifermargulis.net\/whats-really-causing-autism\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":[\"Article\",\"NewsArticle\"],\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.jennifermargulis.net\/whats-really-causing-autism\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.jennifermargulis.net\/whats-really-causing-autism\/#webpage\"},\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jennifermargulis.net\/#\/schema\/person\/67e61047e1948300049a109cfc61e3bd\"},\"headline\":\"What’s Really Causing Autism? My Letter to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-01-12T17:53:37+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-01-07T16:57:42+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.jennifermargulis.net\/whats-really-causing-autism\/#webpage\"},\"commentCount\":3,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jennifermargulis.net\/#\/schema\/person\/4f4b9f697431bff90dbf687b6ae55ccb\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.jennifermargulis.net\/whats-really-causing-autism\/#primaryimage\"},\"keywords\":\"acetaminophen and autism,autism and ultrasound exposure,harms of ultrasound,prenatal care,prenatal ultrasound,ultrasound\",\"articleSection\":\"Autism,Empowered Parents\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"http:\/\/www.jennifermargulis.net\/whats-really-causing-autism\/#respond\"]}],\"copyrightYear\":\"2016\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jennifermargulis.net\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jennifermargulis.net\/#\/schema\/person\/67e61047e1948300049a109cfc61e3bd\",\"name\":\"Jennifer Margulis, Ph.D.\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jennifermargulis.net\/#personlogo\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e01629bab8cc8e8d5aa55b861a6d6752?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Jennifer Margulis, Ph.D.\"},\"description\":\"Jennifer Margulis, Ph.D., is an investigative journalist, book author, and Fulbright awardee. She is the author of Your Baby, Your Way: Taking Charge of Your Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Parenting Decisions for a Happier, Healthier Family, co-author (with Paul Thomas, M.D.) of The Vaccine-Friendly Plan, and The Addiction Spectrum: A Compassionate, Holistic Approach to Recovery. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jennifermargulis.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4350"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jennifermargulis.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jennifermargulis.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jennifermargulis.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jennifermargulis.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4350"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/jennifermargulis.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4350\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jennifermargulis.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4353"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jennifermargulis.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4350"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jennifermargulis.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4350"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jennifermargulis.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4350"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}