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US researchers call off controversial autism study (AP)

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MrMark
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18 Sep 2008, 6:09 am

US researchers call off controversial autism study

By CARLA K. JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer
Wed Sep 17, 8:32 PM ET

CHICAGO - A government agency has dropped plans for a study of a controversial treatment for autism that critics had called an unethical experiment on children.

The National Institute of Mental Health said in a statement Wednesday that the study of the treatment — called chelation — has been abandoned. The agency decided the money would be better used testing other potential therapies for autism and related disorders, the statement said.

"There will be parents who are disappointed," said Richard Nakamura, the scientific director of NIMH. "We recognize that for children there is a fine line for the risk-benefit ratio. You have to be pretty certain of the overall safety of the procedure."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/med_autism_r ... FVCu0DW7oF


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tomamil
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18 Sep 2008, 6:32 am

Quote:
Its use as an autism treatment is based on the fringe theory that mercury in vaccines triggers autism — a theory never proved and rejected by mainstream science. Mercury hasn't been in childhood vaccines since 2001.

Quote:
But many parents of autistic children are believers in the treatment.

8O


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jrknothead
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18 Sep 2008, 7:43 am

It is good to hear this... The moment I heard about this study, I knew it was an ill-advised, dangerous plan.