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For Immediate Release Contact: Elizabeth Kilpatrick CDC Autism Prevalence Study Confirms Epidemic, Is Consistent with Role of Environmental FactorsSafeMinds highlights prevalence variations, need for more stringent autism ascertainment and greater urgency Atlanta, GA -- Today the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released results of a prevalence study of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). In an accompanying press release, which can be found at (http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/2007/r070208.htm), the CDC stated that the ASD prevalence for children born in 1992 was 6.7 per 1,000, while the prevalence for children born in 1994 was 6.6 per 1,000, implying that the rate was the same over the 2-year time period. A calculation by SafeMinds, however, shows that while the rate for children born in 1992 was 6.7 per 1,000, the comparable 1994 rate for time trend purposes is 7.4 per thousand, a 10% increase in just two years. The survey of children born in 1992 was conducted at 6 sites. The survey of children born in 1994 was conducted at 14 sites, including the 6 sites of the 1992 survey. The CDC press release compared the rates for the 6 sites of 1992 with the 14 sites of 1994, an apples-to-oranges comparison. When the prevalence rate of the same 6 sites is calculated for the children born in 1994 - an apples-to-apples comparison - the rate is 7.4 per 1,000, or 10% more than in 1992 (see table below). “We are truly in the midst of an epidemic,” stated SafeMinds president Lyn Redwood, RN. “The 6.7 prevalence is ten times higher than that reported in studies before the 1990s. A 10% increase from 1992 to 1994 indicates that rates were rising in the 1990s. The period from 1990 to 1994 coincided with the rapid expansion in the use of mercury-containing vaccines for infants, specifically the Hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenzae type B vaccines, and the addition of Rho-D injections during pregnancy for mothers with RH negative blood type.” The CDC study reported variations between geographic areas in the rate of ASD, from 3.3 per 1,000 in Alabama to 10.6 per 1,000 in New Jersey. The agency could not account for the differences. Although some autism researchers have claimed that autism is a purely genetic disorder, the differences in prevalence over time and over geography are consistent with an environmental factor such as mercury also playing a role in the cause of autism. A purely genetic disorder would have more consistent prevalence rates. Redwood pointed out that the CDC delayed reporting prevalence for children born in 1992 until today, even though they collected this data back in 2000. “Their lack of urgency in responding to the autism crisis is concerning. Families and individuals with autism deserve more rapid action and accountability.” SafeMinds found the methodology for identifying children with an autism spectrum disorder to be inadequate as well. The study could only determine if a child had some type of ASD and could not determine if they had a milder form, such as Asperger’s Syndrome or PDD-NOS, or a more severe form, like classic autism. This information is critical for proper planning of educational and adult services, as persons with a different type of autism will have different needs. The study mostly relied on diagnoses of an ASD obtained through review of existing health and educational records, rather than on direct examination of the child by CDC-led investigators using a recognized diagnostic tool like the Autism Diagnostic Interview. The approach gives the illusion of rigor and consistency in case ascertainment regardless of birth date or geography, when in fact case ascertainment was subject to whatever the professional diagnostic practices were at the time and place that the administrative records were created. SafeMinds urged the CDC to modify its methodology to account for the types of autism, to directly examine a subset of the cases and potential cases to ensure consistent ascertainment practices, to report its findings more quickly, and to acknowledge the epidemic increase in autism rates. Comparison of ASD Rates for 6 Sites Included in Both 2000 and 2002 Studies*
*Source: MMWR, February 9, 2007, Vol 56, No. SS-1; 2000 data – Table 2, p6; 2002 data – Table 2, p18 The Coalition for SafeMinds (Sensible Action for Ending Mercury-Induced Neurological Disorders) is a nonprofit organization founded to investigate and raise awareness of the risks to infants and children of exposure to mercury from medical products, including thimerosal in vaccines. Further information about SafeMinds and the harmful effects from mercury exposure may be found at www.safeminds.org. Related Articles: N.J. shows high rate of autism in study |
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