Does that really make me an irresponsible parent?
I caught a segment on the today show this past week that really grabbed my attention and really has me thinking. Am I irresponsible for not vaccinating my children? Just to be clear, I am vaccinating them, just spacing it out. Apparently that's bad too. Do I think that vaccinations cause autism? NO. Not by themselves at least. I think it's a combination of things and that in some children the vaccinations could cause autism. The scary thing to me is that no one knows what causes it. It's said to be an epidemic on the rise. More and more children are diagnosed as autistic or fall on the spectrum and well that's scary.
I think that vaccinations are very important, like the doctor on the today show segment talked about, a certain amount of the population has to vaccinated to keep these diseases from coming back. Which is why I am vaccinating my children. As I watched the segment, I'll admit that part of it scared me. The thought of the whooping cough or measles outbreak they talked about, had me worried and doubting myself. There are days when I want to walk into the doctors office and say, "go ahead, lets vaccinate on schedule." But then a part of me always worries about the "what it". I think about the stories I have read, children developing fine until vaccine, or the reactions that a child can have due to the vaccine. Am I selfish for not vaccinating my child? Am I selfish for thinking of their well being? Maybe I have been. When it was just Wyatt, I didn't have to think about another child passing disease onto him. With McKinley though, I wonder if I should be getting her vaccinated?
So far she has had the HIB and Wyatt started his DTaP at age 2 and he has the HIB. I will continue to get Wyatt caught up, going every 6 or so weeks. Now that McKinley is almost 8 months, I am thinking about starting her at 9 months. I am truly torn.
In doing some research online, I did find a couple things very interesting, which make me think it's more than just vaccine related (which I always believed it was).
-They have tied Autism to environmental factors
-Greater risk if the dad is over 40 years old
-Autism has been tied to autoimmune diseases in immediate family- a study confirmed that there was an increased risk of autism in children with a family of type 1 diabetes and an increased risk in children whose mothers have rheumatoid arthritis.
-They also found an increased risk of autism spectrum disorders in children whose mothers have celiac disease. The mothers disease may create an abnormal environment when in the womb.
I think more research needs to be done in order to give parents a greater peace of mind, enabling them to make a more informed discussion. As for me, well I'm not sure what we will do. I will talk to our doctor and do what is best for my children. I am curious to know your thoughts.
I think that vaccinations are very important, like the doctor on the today show segment talked about, a certain amount of the population has to vaccinated to keep these diseases from coming back. Which is why I am vaccinating my children. As I watched the segment, I'll admit that part of it scared me. The thought of the whooping cough or measles outbreak they talked about, had me worried and doubting myself. There are days when I want to walk into the doctors office and say, "go ahead, lets vaccinate on schedule." But then a part of me always worries about the "what it". I think about the stories I have read, children developing fine until vaccine, or the reactions that a child can have due to the vaccine. Am I selfish for not vaccinating my child? Am I selfish for thinking of their well being? Maybe I have been. When it was just Wyatt, I didn't have to think about another child passing disease onto him. With McKinley though, I wonder if I should be getting her vaccinated?
So far she has had the HIB and Wyatt started his DTaP at age 2 and he has the HIB. I will continue to get Wyatt caught up, going every 6 or so weeks. Now that McKinley is almost 8 months, I am thinking about starting her at 9 months. I am truly torn.
In doing some research online, I did find a couple things very interesting, which make me think it's more than just vaccine related (which I always believed it was).
-They have tied Autism to environmental factors
-Greater risk if the dad is over 40 years old
-Autism has been tied to autoimmune diseases in immediate family- a study confirmed that there was an increased risk of autism in children with a family of type 1 diabetes and an increased risk in children whose mothers have rheumatoid arthritis.
-They also found an increased risk of autism spectrum disorders in children whose mothers have celiac disease. The mothers disease may create an abnormal environment when in the womb.
I think more research needs to be done in order to give parents a greater peace of mind, enabling them to make a more informed discussion. As for me, well I'm not sure what we will do. I will talk to our doctor and do what is best for my children. I am curious to know your thoughts.
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