Generation Rescue

Generation Rescue is a nonprofit organization established in 2005 by Lisa and J.B. Handley. The organization targets ADHD, Asperger's, PDD-NOS, and autism. It claims that such diseases are primarily caused by vaccines containing mercury, aluminum, and live viruses, by heavy metals in the environment, and by overuse of antibiotics.cite web|url=http://www.generationrescue.org |accessdate=2007-08-20 |title= Generation rescue |date=2007-07-19] The group gained awareness from an aggressive media campaign that sponsored full page ads in the New York Times and USA Today.

Generation Rescue believes that autism and other developmental issues are environmental illnesses and partially blames thimerosal, a vaccine preservative, as a source of the poisoning. It claims that biomedical intervention can cure these various ailments. Because of Generation Rescue's public profile through national advertising and because its point of view is not shared by the mainstream medical community, their message has been controversial. While they claim that their position is supported by published research,Fact|date=August 2007 reliable medical sources say there is no convincing scientific evidence that vaccines cause autism [cite journal |author= Rutter M |title= Incidence of autism spectrum disorders: changes over time and their meaning |journal= Acta Paediatr |volume=94 |issue=1 |date=2005 |pages=2–15 |pmid=15858952 |doi= 10.1080/08035250410023124] or that diets or drugs can cure it. [cite journal |journal= J Dev Behav Pediatr |date=2006 |volume=27 |issue=2 Suppl 2 |pages=S162–71 |title= Elimination diets in autism spectrum disorders: any wheat amidst the chaff? |author=Christison GW, Ivany K |pmid=16685183 |doi= 10.1097/00004703-200604002-00015] [cite journal |journal=Autism |date=2007 |volume=11 |issue=4 |pages=335–48 |title= Systematic review of the effectiveness of pharmacological treatments for adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorder |author= Broadstock M, Doughty C, Eggleston M |doi=10.1177/1362361307078132 |pmid=17656398]

The organization maintains two websites, Generation Rescue and PutChildrenFirst. [cite web |url=http://www.putchildrenfirst.org |accessdate=2007-08-20 |date=2006-11-12 |title=PutChildrenFirst.org] The former details the organization’s points of view described above. The latter alleges a cover-up by the Centers for Disease Control concerning the role that vaccines have played in recent increases in the number of reported autism cases, whereas mainstream sources.

Media campaign

Beginning in the spring of 2005 and running through January 2007, Generation Rescue began a national media campaign in the US, placing advertisements in such publications as "USA Today" [http://www.generationrescue.org/images/060406.gifAd in "USA Today", April 6, 2006: unveiled the new website, PutChildrenFirst.org] ] . The print and internet advertisements are part of a broader campaign to send the group's message about the possible connection between autism and mercury poisoning to politicians, medical professionals and parents. Generation Rescue's founders have also been featured in interviews on both NBC and FoxFact|date=August 2007 as well as in a cover story in Willamette Week. [ [http://www.wweek.com/story.php?story=6822 Generation Rescue featured in the Willamette Week local newsweekly] ]

Rescue Angel program

Generation Rescue has developed a mentoring program, 'Rescue Angels', for other parents. These 'Rescue Angels' are parents of autism spectrum children who agree with the organisations methods, willing to help other parents in treating their children, sharing expertise, local knowledge and experience. The website states that "Rescue Angels are parent-Founders of Generation Rescue who are volunteering their time and knowledge to help you. They are parents of children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder who have either recovered their own children and/or are currently treating their children biomedically." [cite web |url=http://www.generationrescue.org/angels.php |accessdate=2007-08-20 |title= Treatment: find a Rescue Angel |publisher= Generation Rescue]

Other high profile supporters

Generation Rescue has attracted the support of Jenny McCarthy and others who have become very active in the autism community, supporting a variety of causes since McCarthy's son was diagnosed with autism. She has since written a book, "Louder than Words", about her experiences. McCarthy's celebrity status has enabled her to attract media attention as well as sponsorship from nutritional supplement manufacturer Global Health Trax which distributes the probiotic product ThreeLac that her son uses. [ http://www.ghthealth.com/ghthealth/company/news.aspx News release about Generation Rescue fundraiser ]

On August 2 2008, McCarthy will appeared on "WWE Saturday Night's Main Event" on NBC to raise awareness of Generation Rescue. WWE.com set up a link on July 21 2008 for fans to donate money to the charity, and posted videos of various wrestlers, such as John Cena, Edge, The Big Show and Mickie James, urging fans to donate. [http://www.wwe.com/shows/snme/generationrescuesnme/ Generation Rescure on Saturday Night's Main Event]

Criticisms and responses

Lack of peer-reviewed research

Generation Rescue bases much of their case on publications that do not go through a proper peer review process. In particular, an article Generation Rescue cites in the Evidence section of its website, "Autism: A Novel Form of Mercury Poisoning" [ Bernard, S., Enayati, A., Redwood, L., Roger, H., Binstock, T. (2001). Autism: a novel form of mercury poisoning. "Medical Hypotheses, 56(4)", 462-471. [http://www.attorneyaccess.net/documents/Bernard-Autism-ANovelFormofMercuryPoisoning.pdf] ] is published by a journal devoted to medical hypotheses; the hypothesis has not been confirmed by credible scientific evidence. [cite journal |journal= Can J Neurol Sci |date=2006 |volume=33 |issue=4 |pages=341–6 |title= Immunizations and autism: a review of the literature |author= Doja A, Roberts W |pmid=17168158] [cite journal |journal= N Engl J Med |year=2007 |volume=357 |issue=13 |pages=1278–9 |title= Thimerosal and vaccines—a cautionary tale |author= Offit PA |doi=10.1056/NEJMp078187 |pmid=17898096 |url=http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/357/13/1278]

Chelation

Bradford Handley, a Generation Rescue founder, claims that autism symptoms can be reversed using chelation. This is in contradiction of the scientific capabilities of chelation, as evidenced by at least one study. The Encyclopedia of Children's Health states that "the chelation process can only halt further effects of the poisoning; it cannot reverse neurological damage already sustained." [ [http://www.healthofchildren.com/G-H/Heavy-Metal-Poisoning.html Encyclopedia of Children's Health entry on heavy metal poisoning] ]

Disassociation of cited researchers

Generation Rescue's second "New York Times" advertisement had to undergo one alteration due to one scientist who asked to be removed from the ad. Also, after the ad ran, several of the scientists thanked in the ad wanted to disassociate their work from the mercury/autism connection. [ [http://autismdiva.blogspot.com/2005/11/general-confusion-and-nyt.html Issues arise concerning citations used in Generation Rescue's advertisements] ] This group of scientists wrote: "we believe GenerationRescue’s advertisement, at first appearance an innocuous gesture of appreciation, may actually mislead the public into thinking that the mercury-autism hypothesis has stronger support in the scientific literature than it actually does." One of the scientists who signed that letter asking not to be associated with the mercury/autism hypothesis, Martha Herbert, is still frequently cited by Generation Rescue and others as a supporter.

Claims of inaccurate statistics

Generation Rescue's home page has been criticized for containing inaccuracies regarding the prevalence of autism. As of 2006, it claimed that the prevalence of autism in the 1970s was 1 in 10,000. In reality, the prevalence of autism was known to be 4-5 in 10,000 as early as the 1960s. Additionally, the site does not clarify that the prevalence of 1 in 166 is for ASD, not Kanner autism as is the lower prevalence number. The increase of 6000% (60 times) claimed in the GR home page should be about 1200% (12 times) if (only) the lower prevalence number is corrected.

In February 2005, J.B. Handley falsely stated on a TV interview that the notion of autism is mythical, stating that it is a misdiagnosis for mercury poisoning. He also claimed that autism did not exist before thimerosal was put in vaccines, and that chelation therapy can cure autism in two years or less. [ [http://www.kevinleitch.co.uk/wp/?p=428 Videos and critiques] ]

ee also

* List of autism-related topics
* List of vaccine topics
* Tailings

References

External links

* [http://www.generationrescue.org/ GenerationRescue.org] - Organisation's Website
* [http://www.mothering.com/sections/news_bulletins/october2005.html#autism Mothering.com] - 'Is the American Academy of Pediatrics losing credibility with parents and pediatricians?' Bobby Manning, "Mothering" (October, 2005)
* [http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/index.php?feed=Science&article=UPI-1-20050524-16281400-bc-ageofautism-chelation.xml ScienceDaily.com] - 'The Age of Autism: Heavy metal', Dan Olmsted, UPI' (May 24, 2005)
* [http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/05/25/BAGU0CU2K71.DTL SFGate.com] - 'A child's return from autism: Couple eager to share their conviction that mercury poisoning was the culprit' Leslie Fulbright, "San Francisco Chronicle" (May 25, 2005)