A Reinterpretation of the Image of "Refrigerator Mothers" of Autistic Children

    /24-7PressRelease/ - BURBANK, CA, March 15, 2007 - Dr. Leo Kanner, who first described autism as a distinctive childhood illness, commented on the apparent paucity of affection shown by parents towards their autistic child. While he clearly believed that autism was an "inborn disturbance of affective contact," there was an implication that the parents were "short of interest in other people (and) had little more feeling for their own children." He once represented the cold and indifferent attitude as if certain mothers were "just happening to defrost enough to produce a child." This "refrigerator mother" concept was further promoted by the Austrian born psychiatrist Bruno Bettelheim in his book entitled "Empty Fortress." He postulated that the child was so emotionally starved for parental affection that the mind took refuge in its isolation from humanity. Parents of autistic children were rightfully indignant at being accused of contributing to their child's illness.

The incidence of autism has been steadily increasing among all social groups. Current estimates are that up to 1 percent of boys and 1 in 150 of all preteen children are autistic. High functioning autistic children overlap with an even larger group of children with various learning and/or behavioral disorders. Over a quarter of high school seniors now fail to acquire basic skills in english and over a third lack basic skills in mathematics. These figures do not include high school dropouts, many of whom are essentially illiterate. The downward performance trend will surely continue unless an explanation is found for the impaired brain functioning of children and corrective measures are undertaken.

Rather than dismissing Kanner's observations, it would have been more insightful to suggest a possible common agent causing brain damage in both mothers and their autistic children. Close questioning of mothers of autistic children will frequently uncover episodes of an emotional disorder and/or of unexplained fatigue occurring well prior to the child's birth. When medical help was sought, diagnoses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), fibromyalgia and depression were commonly applied. While parental symptoms may persist, they are clearly overshadowed by the tragedy that has befallen the children.

Also relevant is the distressingly large numbers of parents who voluntarily relinquish custody of their emotionally impaired children to the State. Government figures released for 2001 indicate that in just 19 mid-sized States, 12,600 children were transferred to State custodial care by parents for either financial or emotional reasons. One wonders if this too is not an indication that the parents are involved in a pervasive illness that affects them as well as their children.

Traditionally, when epidemiologists are faced with an apparent epidemic, primary consideration is given to a potential infectious cause. Neonatal infections from mother to unborn child are known to occur and autism has been reported in children infected before birth with human cytomegalovirus and rubella virus.

For nearly two decades, I have proposed a viral cause of CFS as well as of more severe psychiatric illnesses, including autism. I have isolated and described atypical cell damaging (cytopathic) viruses that possess a stealth-like quality of not being effectively recognized by the cellular immune system. I have reported that these viruses are actively infecting the vast majority of autistic children tested. Yet this message has been ignored by Public Health officials. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has not responded to petitions or personal requests to perform virus cultures in autistic children to confirm the presence of an active virus infection. Sadly, this agency appears to be fearful of indications that live polio vaccines have allowed the entry of some stealth viruses into the community with widespread devastating consequences. This conclusion stems from extensive DNA sequencing performed on the initial stealth virus isolated from a CFS patient, and substantiated by sequencing of a separate isolate from a psychiatric patient. The data show an unequivocal origin from African green monkey simian cytomegalovirus (SCMV). The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has confirmed the presence of DNA of SCMV in several licensed batches of live polio virus vaccines. Moreover, studies as early as 1972 confirmed that virtually all of the monkeys being used for polio virus vaccine production were infected with SCMV. Stealth adaptation is not restricted to SCMV but presumably is a generic process applicable to many types of cytopathic viruses.

More recent research has provided a clearer understanding of a non-immunological virus defense mechanism that can operate against stealth adapted viruses. It is mediated by an alternative cellular energy (ACE) pathway of cellular repair and can be activated by naturally occurring compounds termed "enerceuticals." Clinical evaluation of these compounds will be facilitated once there is widespread acceptance of the damage being caused to children and others by stealth adapted viruses.

Parents of autistic children should contact their political representatives and insist that CDC test a sampling of autistic children for stealth adapted viruses. Faced with positive findings, it will be harder for the CDC to maintain its indifference to the nationwide epidemic of stealth adapted virus related illnesses.

For further information, please refer to the web site http://www.s3support.com or send an e-mail to [email protected]

W. John Martin, MD, PhD.
Institute of Progressive Medicine
Burbank CA 91502

About The Institute of Progressive Medicine
The Institute of Progressive Medicine is a non-profit public charity. Its faculty includes specialists in infectious diseases, especially as a cause of chronic illnesses.

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