The Natural Medicine Guide to Autism

An important and authoritative book on this controversial subject. Most readers will be familiar with the hounding of Dr Andrew Wakefield by the medical establishment. Here one can understand better the background to the controversy. The prevalence of autism in countries such as the US and the UK has increased sharply over the last 10 years. Interestingly, 189 books related to autism were published in 2002, while the number of new books in 2011 totalled 638. Autism-related legal claims have reached a total of 5,637 in the US. In the last two decades, prevalence has risen from 4.5 births per 10,000 to between 45 and 68 per 10,000. Causes and contributing factors are multiple, almost certainly increasing chemical toxins, immune dysfunction, allergies and sensitivities, food additives and nutritional deficiencies as well as vaccines. The global market for vaccines has increased enormously over the last 10 years: in 2001, it was $7 billion and is currently $23.8 billion. This is a staggering increase and an equally staggering amount of money, which enables one to understand the political and economic implications of the Wakefield research. The first part of the book covers the basics of autism, while the second discusses a wide range of possible treatments that may suit individual cases. The term natural medicine means working with rather than against the body and interventions seek to restore the balance of the body rather than using surface palliative measures. The approaches described can help remove some of the triggers for autism and lead to a correspondingly better quality-of-life.