GUEST COMMENTARY by BRENT ROONEY *
In the 15 October 2008 McCain/Obama debate AUTISM was
mentioned at the beginning and at the end of the debate. Three times
as many families are affected by the serious behavioral problems
of autistic children than the number of families affected by CP
(Cerebral Palsy). Male infants have higher autism risk than do female
infants; gastrointestinal problems are a likely autism risk factor. Whether
vaccinations elevate autistic risk is not a settled issue. There is evidence
than metal poisoning (e.g.s. mercury, lead) raises autistic risk. Estimates
of the prevalence of autism vary by a factor of 5 or 10. In a 2006 article
by Judith Grether a prevalence of 6-7 per one thousand U.S. children with
autism was used and I'll use Grether's modest estimate of 6-7 per thousand.
Premature birth is a risk factor for many serious birth defects, including
CP, mental retardation, epilepsy, blindness, deafness, respiratory distress,
gastrointestinal problems, serious infections, AUTISM, etc. In 2008
Norwegian researchers led by Dag Moster reported that extremely premature
newborns (under 28 weeks' gestation) had 9.7 times the autism risk as full-term
newborns (at least 37 weeks' gestation). [Moster, 1] In another 2008 study
(Catherine Limperopoulos et al.) it was reported that newborn under 1,500
grams (i.e. 3 lbs. 5 ozs.) had an absolute 26% risk of autism. [Limperopoulos, 2]
Since 1992 there have been five (5) statistically significant studies to
report that women with prior induced abortions had higher risk of delivering
an extremely preterm newborn. [Smith, 3; Lumley, 4-5; Moreau, 6; Stang,
7] Opposed to these five studies are zero statistically significant studies
reporting that women with prior induced abortions have a lower risk of
an extremely preterm newborn compared to women with zero prior induced
abortions. In 2007 the Institute of Medicine in a textbook identified "Prior
first trimester induced abortion" as an "Immutable Medical Risk Factor
Associated with Preterm Birth" [Behrman, 8]; [ URL:
http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=11622&page=625 ].
Bottom line: Abortion and Autism are Linked. The most common abortion
procedure (vacuum aspiration abortion) has zero published animal studies to
validate its safety. The lack of such animal studies means that 100% of 'suction'
abortions violate rule 3 of the 1947 Nuremberg Code (i.e. animal testing of
a new surgery or new drug must precede human trials).
* Rooney is a medical researcher with a special interest in preterm birth
risk factors. [Rooney, 9,11]
................................................................................
Brent Rooney (MSc)
Reduce Preterm Risk Coalition
3456 Dunbar St. (Suite 146)
Vancouver, Canada V6S 2C2
email: [email protected]
References
1 Moster D, Terje L, Markestad T. Long-Term Medical and Social
Consequences of Preterm Birth. New England Journal of Medicine
2008;359:262-273 [ Abstract URL:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18635431?dopt=Abstract ]
2 Limperopoulos C, Bassan H, Sullivan NR, Soul JS, Robertson RL, et al.
Positive Screening for Autism in Ex-preterm Infants. Pediatrics 2008;121(4):
758-765 [ Abstract URL:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18381541?dopt=Abstract ]
3 Smith GCS, Shah I, White IR, Pell JP, Crossley JA, et al. Maternal and
biochemical predictors of spontaneous preterm birth among nulliparous women:
a systematic analysis in relation to the degree of prematurity. Int J Epidemiol
2006;35(5):1169-1177
4 Lumley J. The association between prior spontaneous abortion, prior induced
abortions and preterm birth in first singleton births. Prenat Neonat Med
1998;3:21-24
5 Lumley J. The epidemiology of preterm birth. Bailliere's Clinical Obstet
Gynecol 1993;7(3):477-498
6 Moreau C, Kaminski M, Ancel PY, Bouyer J, Escande B, et al: Previous induced
abortions and the risk of very preterm term delivery: Results of the EPIPAGE
study. Br J Obstet Gynaecol 2005;112:430-437 [ abstract URL:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15777440?dopt=Abstract ]
7 Stang P, Hammond AO, Bauman P. Induced Abortion Increases the Risk of
Very Preterm Delivery: Results of a Large Perinatal Database. Fertility Sterility
Sept. 2005:S159 [here 'Very' means under 28.0 weeks' gestation]
8 Behrman RE, Butler AS, Alexander GR. [Book] Preterm Birth:
Causes, Consequences, and Prevention. National Academies Press 2007
[ URL: http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=11622&page=625 ]
9 Rooney B, Calhoun BC. Induced abortion and risk of later premature births.
J Amer Phys Surgeons 2003;8(2):46-49 [URL:
http://www.jpands.org/vol8no2/rooney.pdf ]
10 Thorp JM, Hartmann KE, Shadigian E. Long-Term Physical and Psychological
Consequences of Induced Abortion: Review of the Evidence. Obstet Gynecol
Survey 2003;58(1):67-79
11 [IN PRESS} Rooney B, Calhoun BC, Roche L. Does Induced Abortion Account
for Racial Disparity in Preterm Births, and Violate the Nuremberg Code?
J Amer Phys Surg 2008 or 2009
Anyone wishing to receive RFFM.org e-mails should contact [email protected]
Comments to RFFM.org's blog which include ad hominems or personal attack will automatically be rejected. No hyperlinks allowed.
Comments