Is There A Lyme-Autism Connection?If you are like me, you have probably searched for the cure for autism only to find that the experts really do not understand the causes of autism much less than the treatment for autism. However, I have recently discovered a Lyme-autism connection that cohesively links most of the hypotheses about autism together into a plausible theory with plenty of scientific evidence! And this information can be found in The Lyme-Autism Connection by Bryan Rosner with Tami Duncan.
Before I tell you more about this book, I want to let you know some basic Lyme facts. Lyme disease is caused by a bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi or B. burgdorferi or Bb for short. This bacteria is in the shape of a spiral so it is also called a spirochete. People usually acquire the Lyme spirochete from the bite of a small deer tick called Ixodes scapularis, but the bacteria can also be acquired through various other vectors. About 50% of people are not aware that they have even been bitten by a tick. Some people acquire a rash often shaped like a bull's eye called erythema migrans or EM, but many people do not get a rash at all. If Lyme disease is detected very early, a few weeks of strong antibiotics can cure the infection. However, if the infection is not caught early, it will spread throughout the body causing symptoms in nearly every organ system.
Wow! That is quite a list! Eventually, you may be officially diagnosed with any of many conditions including but not limited to the following diseases.
You can acquire Lyme disease in any of the 50 states in the United States and on any continent in the world (except perhaps Antarctica). Unfortunately, doctors are not trained to recognize and test for chronic Lyme disease. Therefore, many people can go through their entire lifetime without ever receiving the correct diagnosis and treatment for chronic Lyme disease. What is really important to those of us with autistic children is that Lyme disease can be acquired congenitally since the bacteria can be passed to the child prenatally through the placenta. The bacteria is probably passed to the child through breast milk while nursing. The infection can then interfere with normal development of the child causing various conditions including autism. Essentially, there is a Lyme-autism connection! Infants born with Lyme infection may have a variety of signs and symptoms.
I would like to emphasize that not all cases of autism are due to Lyme disease. Autism can also be caused by other conditions as well. However, about 25 – 40% of current cases of autism are due to Lyme disease. But, if your child has Lyme-induced autism, you should know so that you can obtain appropriate treatment as soon as possible. At this time, the lights may be going on for you as they did for me when I found out about this information. I was thrilled to know that there may be a reason for my strange symptoms and for my children's autism. However, I was also demoralized to know that I may have passed the Borrelia burgdorferi infection to my kids unknowingly. You may be experiencing the same feelings. So, I am sure that you want to know what to do now! I highly suggest that your next step should be to read The Lyme-Autism Connection yourself. This book showed me more about the connection between Lyme disease and autism so that I fully understood both conditions. It then detailed the steps involved in obtaining accurate diagnostic testing and finding an appropriate Lyme literate doctor (LLMD) so that you can be treated properly. I can not emphasize enough about the need to understand about testing and finding a doctor. Your doctor most likely knows very little about chronic Lyme disease. Your doctor probably knows even less about the Lyme-autism connection. It is not entirely their fault. They are not trained about it in medical school and in their continuing education education. Also, there is much politics regarding Lyme disease that I will not overwhelm you with at this time. You really must read this book so you know what to do for your health and for the health of your children. If you do mention the Lyme-autism connection to your doctor, they will most likely just brush you off as they do when they do not know about something. As an aside, I had an infectious disease doctor roll her eyes at me not once, but twice, and then refuse to treat me! If they do consent to testing you, they will most likely use the wrong test and the wrong lab. Your health is much too important! Luckily, I was able to use the information in The Lyme-Autism Connection to test myself. My labs did come back positive for chronic Lyme disease. Then, I tested my kids (son with AS, NT daughter, and another daughter with PDD-NOS). Each of their labs also came back positive for chronic Lyme disease. We are now undergoing treatment and our health is now improving. I would like to mention that I have been trained through the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) by two prominent LLMDs on the east coast. I offer consultations involving proper Lyme disease testing and natural treatment options. My clients are getting better! I would love to meet you and to help you! Now I know that my kids in fact do have Lyme disease which either induced their autism or exacerbated their autism. This book has literally been a life-saver for my family and me! It may be a life-saver for you as well. Please, read The Lyme-Autism Connection immediately! Return Home
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