vaccinate your kids, or else!!

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by AKA_Monet

MysticCat,

Does your son have any "odd outcomes to illnesses" that you would normally write-off because he is a kid? For example, you said allergies and post nasal drip? How often does he gets these sniffles and to what, specifically, i.e. dust, molds, dog hair or odd things like "fresh tomatoes" or "celery"?

I have not read or studied much research on odd allergies, but I am seeing more children having these kinds of allergies.

None that I can think of -- the sniffles are usually seasonal, and when others in the house have them as well. But again, you've given me something to keep an eye out for.

Originally Posted by BigRedBeta

No offense to anyone here, but in my humble, yet growing medical opinion, there is (other than religious) ABSOLUTELY no reason not to vaccinate your children on schedule. I say this as current medical student and future pediatrician.

No offense to a current medical student and future pediatrician, but you'll find that many parents, due to their less-than-positive interactions with medical professionals, are convinced either that the research hasn't caught up yet or that medical professionals have tunnel vision and are unwilling to (I can't believe I'm about to say this) think outside the box. Even I feel that way at times, and you can't find many people more willing to go along with conventional medical practice than me.

Too many parents with kids on the spectrum (why anyone would want that for their kids is beyond me) have dealt with pediatricians who don't really understand what autism is to begin with. I can tell you that many of these parents have not found the medical profession to be helpful in understanding and helping their children. (That is not my experience, but it is the experience of many other parents.)

Originally Posted by ISUKappa

Again in my humble opinion as a parent, the best thing you can do as a future pediatrician is continue your research and allow yourself an open conversation with your patients parents.

I agree completely. The only thing I would add is to keep up with the research, which is always evolving, and don't write off what the parents are telling you they are experiencing and seeing when it doesn't match up with the research.

[AKA_Monet]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

None that I can think of -- the sniffles are usually seasonal, and when others in the house have them as well. But again, you've given me something to keep an eye out for.

They have to be extremely ODD kinds of allergies or a complete inability to "throw off" the "sniffles" outside of anyone else or something like being 16 years old and still having 103+ degree temperatures and no "confounders", like "hemorrhagic fever" or "yellow/dengue fever"--which is a very real possibility to come back into the US because of global warming...

If your son is mildly autistic, he MIGHT grow out of it. The issue is autism does not have OVERT slide pathology. So, it barely can be detected by MRI even with "bubble" technology... As you are aware, it is only by psych eval tests and learning tests.

One thing I do remember from my training is how music "gets" to their thought processes... So, when you all do have difficulty, start singing and playing music.

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by AKA_Monet

One thing I do remember from my training is how music "gets" to their thought processes... So, when you all do have difficulty, start singing and playing music.

He's just lucky his daddy's a Sinfonian.

I remember when I was studying Music Therapy - autism was a HUGE part of our clientel. I had two autistic kids as clients, and it took them 4 weeks to learn my name, but 3 months later, I had them singing "Jamaican Farewell" and playing the ukelelis with it.