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Autistic boy dies during controversial treatment
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ^ | 8/24/2005 | Karen Kane and Virginia Linn

Posted on 08/24/2005 3:09:44 PM PDT by Born Conservative

A 5-year-old Monroeville boy died this week during a medical treatment that's being touted by some as a cure for autism.

The autistic boy died while receiving chelation -- an intravenous injection of a synthetic amino acid known as EDTA, for ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid. The Food and Drug Administration has approved the practice only to treat heavy metal (such as lead) poisoning. The treatment is becoming increasingly popular, though still controversial, for autism.

Police are investigating the boy's death, which occurred Tuesday morning in the office of Dr. Roy Kerry in Portersville.

(Excerpt) Read more at post-gazette.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: autism; bc; chelation; edta; health; healthcare; junkscience; justdamn; medicine; quack
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To: tiamat

Aspergers? I'm not familiar with that. I see why you're worrying about the start of school. The public is bad enough, but the schoolyard is worse. : (


41 posted on 08/24/2005 4:23:02 PM PDT by TheSpottedOwl ("President Bush, start building that wall"!)
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To: tiamat

Wow. I didn't know people felt that way -- that it was a discipline problem. I am truly sorry if that has affected you personally.

Interesting how the general public accepts heart failure and treats it with medications/surgery/pacemakers but when the brain "fails", people somehow think it isn't really a bonified medical problem. They used to think that seizures were demon infestation. Insurance companies frequently will not cover much for mental illnesses while they provide comprehensive coverage for orthopedic problems. Doesn't make sense.


42 posted on 08/24/2005 4:24:50 PM PDT by Kay
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To: lepton

My question is why the heck are they trying to treat autism with EDTA? It just makes no sense.


43 posted on 08/24/2005 4:33:06 PM PDT by Beaker
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To: Kay

Feel happy that you haven't met my in-laws.

And thanks.

Truly


:-)


44 posted on 08/24/2005 4:35:18 PM PDT by tiamat ("If some guy named Marduk calls, tell him I'm not home! ")
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To: TheSpottedOwl

Asperger's Syndrome is a disorder in the autism spectrum.

It has all sorts of variations.

Pound link here:

http://users.wpi.edu/~trek/aspergers.html


45 posted on 08/24/2005 4:38:12 PM PDT by tiamat ("If some guy named Marduk calls, tell him I'm not home! ")
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To: Born Conservative

I've heard of this treatment being used to treat heart disease (by "Roto-Rootering' the arteries). Sounds like snake oil.


46 posted on 08/24/2005 4:49:14 PM PDT by buccaneer81 (Rick Nash will score 50 goals this season ( if there is a season)
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To: JmyBryan

It is approved for chelation therapy for heavy metals but not for autism.


47 posted on 08/24/2005 4:51:04 PM PDT by cajungirl (no)
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To: Born Conservative

They were probably trying to get the mercury out. Thanks Imus.


48 posted on 08/24/2005 4:51:19 PM PDT by Pharmboy (There is no positive correlation between the ability to write, act, sing or dance and being right)
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To: Pharmboy

Mercury - the most toxic substance on the planet! (sarcasm). Seriously, when I worked in the hospital in the late 80's (pre-digital thermometer days), whenever we broke a mercury thermometer, we would just get the portable hand vac and suck it up. Now, whenever there is a mercury "spill", they call in the Haz Mat team!


49 posted on 08/24/2005 5:00:22 PM PDT by Born Conservative ("If not us, who? And if not now, when? - Ronald Reagan)
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To: Born Conservative

Chelation therapy is a well known scam. Read all about it at www.quackwatch.com


50 posted on 08/24/2005 5:01:43 PM PDT by Rodney King (No, we can't all just get along.)
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To: afraidfortherepublic; dead; seowulf; Severa; USA21; alnick; FormerLurker; Mack the knife; ...
 

Click for more articles with Autism as keyword

 

51 posted on 08/24/2005 5:03:08 PM PDT by Incorrigible (If I lead, follow me; If I pause, push me; If I retreat, kill me.)
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To: buccaneer81
Chelation therapy is way out on the fringe of medicine. It is used (no USDA recommendation) for "stripping" plaque from athersclerotic arteries. I have 2 friends who practice mainstream medicine, but they, themselves, do chelation treatments on themselves. There seems to only be anecdotal evidence to support this, but they swear they feel better. I know of noone treating autism in mainstream medicine.

There are all kinds of nuts out here. I once knew a physician about 30 miles west of Fort Worth who treated cancer with I.V. Watermelon juice. I cannot make it up. I really should say I knew of him.

52 posted on 08/24/2005 5:07:23 PM PDT by Texas Songwriter
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To: Pharmboy
They were probably trying to get the mercury out. Thanks Imus.

Ugh!  Thanks Imus indeed.  His trophy wife is probably setting back genuine Autism research by 20 years.

53 posted on 08/24/2005 5:08:33 PM PDT by Incorrigible (If I lead, follow me; If I pause, push me; If I retreat, kill me.)
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To: FormerACLUmember

Oh, isn't it awful of them trying to do their best for their kids?


54 posted on 08/24/2005 5:18:30 PM PDT by conservative cat
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To: JmyBryan

It's not just mercury from vaccinations, it's also other toxic metals ingested or absorbed such as lead, tin, etc.

Now I'm not saying I buy into this chelation therapy, but my kid, who is autistic, has been tested with results that are high in Tin. They are suggesting chelation therapy for him. So far, the evidence is not sound to take the risk.


55 posted on 08/24/2005 5:21:10 PM PDT by Hayzo
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To: JmyBryan

I noticed that your quakwatch rebuttal launched into "who funds them" before getting to the rebuttal. That was all I needed to see to know which side I was on.


56 posted on 08/24/2005 5:21:51 PM PDT by Rodney King (No, we can't all just get along.)
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To: TheSpottedOwl

Sounds like my aunt and uncle. They left no stone unturned trying to help my cousin, so I guess that makes them notorious. A parent will move heaven and earth to help their child.


I'm with you on this one!


57 posted on 08/24/2005 5:23:52 PM PDT by Hayzo
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To: JmyBryan
I agree they were taking foolish chances if not using medical people. But the treatment itself, while controversial and maybe useless for autism, is not really dangerous if administered correctly

If administered correctly, having a patient drink a 6 pack of beer is not really dangerous. The fact that something if administered correctly is not really dangerous therefore does not mean that it is not quackery.

58 posted on 08/24/2005 5:25:28 PM PDT by Rodney King (No, we can't all just get along.)
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To: TheSpottedOwl

2 is about the age where autism begins to show itself. They all seem normal prior to that because they aren't able to express the signs that would signal autistic behavior.


59 posted on 08/24/2005 5:25:56 PM PDT by Hayzo
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To: lepton
Phenolphthalein

If you spelled that without looking it up - you are a lexiconic god.

60 posted on 08/24/2005 5:27:10 PM PDT by TheHound (You would be paranoid too - if everyone was out to get you.)
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