Reactions 890 - 23 Feb 2002

MMR vaccine: no evidence for newvariant of autism

There is no evidence to support a new variant ofautism involving developmental regression and bowelproblems associated with mumps, measles and rubella(MMR) vaccination, according to researchers from theUK.

The researchers used childhood disability registers toidentify 278 children with childhood autism and 195children with atypical autism born between 1979 and1998.

There were no changes in the proportions of childrenwith autism and bowel problems or developmentalregression during the 9 years prior to the introduction ofMMR vaccination (October 1988) and the 9 yearsfollowing the introduction of the vaccine. Theproportions of children with bowel problems and/orregression were similar in those with childhood autismand those with atypical autism (18 vs 16%, respectively),and no significant trends by year of birth were evident.

Furthermore, there were no significant differences inthe proportions of children with bowel problems orregression between those who received the MMRvaccine before first parental concern, after first parentalconcern, and those who had not received the vaccine.

Bowel problems were reported more frequently inchildren with regression than in those without (26 vs14%), however, even in those children with bothregression and bowel symptoms, there was noassociation with MMR vaccination or year of birth.Taylor B, et al. Measles, mumps, and rubella vaccination and bowel problems ordevelopmental regression in children with autism: population study. BMJ 324:393-396, 16 Feb 2002 800896465

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Reactions 23 Feb 2002 No. 8900114-9954/10/0890-0001/$14.95 Adis © 2010 Springer International Publishing AG. All rights reserved