| Studies, such as a Portuguese study ("Mitochondrial | | | | that caused Hannah's autism, others will argue that it |
| dysfunction in autism spectrum disorders: a | | | | was the mercury preservative, thimerosal, in the |
| population-based study," Dev Med Child Neurol. 2005 | | | | vaccines which triggered the autism, and still others will |
| Mar;47(3):148), have suggested that there is a link | | | | argue that it's all just a coincidence. However, |
| between autism spectrum disorders and mitochondrial | | | | Geraldine Dawson, the Chief Science Officer at |
| disease (also known as mitochondrial dysfunction). The | | | | "Autism Speaks", is of the opinion that these childhood |
| study in Portugal looked at 69 autistic children and | | | | vaccines stimulate the immune system and can put |
| found that 5 of them had some type of mitochondrial | | | | stress on the the functioning of the body's cells, thus |
| abnormality. A study in the US by Dr John Shoffner, a | | | | worsening the symptoms of mitochondrial disease and |
| geneticist and neurologist, backed these results by | | | | causing autism symptoms like developmental |
| concluding that up to around 20% of people with | | | | regression. The Vaccine Court settled Hannah's case |
| autism have markers for mitochondrial disease. | | | | out of court and this does not really prove anything, |
| What is Mitochondrial Disease or Dysfunction? | | | | just that the family were able to convince them that |
| Mitochondrial Disease is a set if genetic disorders of | | | | there was some kind of link between Hannah's autism |
| the mitochondria, the powerhouses of cells which are | | | | and the vaccines she received. |
| used by the body to convert oxygen and food into | | | | The New Scientist magazine contacted researchers |
| energy. Although mitochondrial disease can go | | | | into mitochondrial disease who explained that children |
| unnoticed and not cause any symptoms at all, it can | | | | with the disease are a more risk of muscular and |
| also cause:- | | | | neurological abnormalities because their cells have |
| - Weakness of the muscles | | | | increased energy needs and can be damaged if they |
| - Developmental delays | | | | don't receive enough energy. Insufficient energy can |
| - Heart problems | | | | result in encephalopathy (altered brain function and |
| It is a rare disease which can be present at birth or | | | | structure) which can ultimately cause symptoms similar |
| can occur later on, perhaps being triggered by an | | | | to autism. |
| illness or fever. | | | | Lindsey Kent, from the University of St Andrews in |
| Mitochondrial Disease and Autism | | | | Scotland, feels that Hannah Poling's autism-like |
| The link between mitochondrial disease and autism hit | | | | symptoms would have developed anyway, even if |
| the headlines in 2008 when 9 year old Hannah Poling's | | | | she had not received the nine vaccines. Kent goes on |
| family won compensation in the renowned "Poling | | | | to say: "She has a clear mitochondrial genetic mutation, |
| Vaccine Court Case" after claiming that their | | | | which is probably the cause of her developmental |
| daughter's autism was caused by the nine childhood | | | | regression, autistic features and epilepsy...whether or |
| vaccines that she received. Hannah Poling suffered | | | | not the vaccine unmasked this will never be known, |
| from mitochondrial disease, like her mother, and went | | | | but it seems quite surprising." |
| on to develop symptoms of autism within 48 hours of | | | | So, in Hannah's case, it does seem that the |
| receiving the nine vaccines. | | | | mitochondrial disease is responsible for her autism |
| Some people will argue that it was the vaccines alone | | | | symptoms, not the vaccines. |