SafeMinds 2006 Press Releases

Autism Study by Dr. Eric Fombonne is Inaccurate and Incomplete; SafeMinds Aims to Correct Misinformation
July 5, 2006 SafeMinds Press Release

A Quebec study to be published in the July 2006 issue of Pediatrics ( download study, 293 KB PDF file), the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, states that it is “very clear” that there is no relationship between mercury-based thimerosal in vaccines and the onset of autism.  Dr. Eric Fombonne of the McGill University Health Center bases his opinion on a study among schoolchildren in Quebec, Canada. According to an analysis by SafeMinds, however, the study methodology is unlikely to lend itself to such declarative statements and should be treated with skepticism, for a number of reasons. More...

Autism Community Calls New Study In Journal Pediatrics Misleading, Declares Autism Epidemic Real

Department of Education Data Inadequate to Determine Prevalence Over Time

April 3, 2006 SafeMinds Press Release

A study appearing in the April 2006 edition of Pediatrics titled "Diagnostic Substitution and Changing Autism Prevalence" is being questioned by the autism community. The report, authored by Dr. Paul Shattuck, uses US Department of Education data to support the hypothesis that real autism rates have not increased over the last two decades, and that reported increases are a function of reclassification of students from learning disabilities and mental retardation categories. This theory has been rejected in a number of scientific studies. The autism community would like to see scientific studies based on more valid databases in order to determine accurate prevalence trends.

• The Contribution of Diagnostic Substitution to the Growing Administrative Prevalence of Autism in U.S. Special Education
• Investigating Diagnostic Substitution and Autism Prevalence Trends
• Diagnostic Substitution and the Changing Autism Prevalence
• Blaxill, Baskin & Spitzer on Croen et al (2002)
• A Response to Blaxill, Baskin & Spitzer on Croen et al (2002)
• What's Going On? The Question of Time Trends in Autism
• Epidemiology of Autism in California: A Comprehensive Pilot Study
• National Autism Prevalence Trends from United States Special Education Data
• FightingAutism website for more information on Department of Education data

Frist, Hastert Pull Last Minute Maneuver to Protect Vaccine Manufacturers from Liability

February 22, 2006 SafeMinds Press Release

Parents of children impacted by mercury in vaccines are expressing their outrage at two of this country's most powerful politicians. In the waning hours of 2005, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) and House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) renewed a time-honored tradition of slipping unpopular language into an important piece of legislation in the hopes of "sneaking one past the American people. Read more.