Subscribe to RSSVaccinations, Autism and My Decision for My Baby Boy
Can vaccinations cause autism? It’s something I think about a lot lately especially since boys are 4 times more likely to be diagnosed with autism and my son just turned 1, which, is around the time doctors can reliably diagnose autism. Even with all the controversy over whether vaccinations can cause autism I made an informed decision to take my son in for his one year vaccinations last week.
I started talking with our pediatrician about a vaccination schedule for my son as soon as he was born. I also tried to educate myself on autism by reading all the information I could find on autism and talking with several parents that have children with autism. With this information to guide me I decided that I would do a modified vaccination schedule as determined by myself and my son’s pediatrician.
Here are a couple shot schedules available to parents:
American Academy of Pediatrics shot schedule http://www.cispimmunize.org/
Dr. Sears shot schedule http://www.askdrsears.com/thevaccinebook/
Deciding on whether to vaccinate your child is a very important decision that every parent makes and it’s not an all or nothing proposition. Immunization is one of the most effective ways parents can protect their infants and children from potentially serious diseases. The best advice I would give to any parent is to educate yourself as much as possible and talk with your child’s health care provider to determine the best course of action for you.
Here are a few resources for more information on autism:
http://www.cafemom.com Has forums for Autism/Asperger’s/PDD Awareness and Parenting Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Center for Disease Control http://www.cdc.gov/Features/InfantImmunization/
http://www.autism-blog.com/ Allows people who have been affected by autism to share their stories and help other people to overcome. Their goal is to provide the best online autism support group possible.