Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
Avatar universal

Lyme-Induced Autism -- ?

I have seen references to the concept that autism in some children may be triggered by a Lyme infection, either a direct infection from an insect bite, or transmitted before birth from the mother.

There is an organization with a fairly extensive website at:  lymeinducedautism.com

I don't know that there is anything to it, but for those who might be interested, there it is.
3 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
Avatar universal
There was a presentation by Charles Ray Jones at the latest ILADS conference in which he presented research proving that borrelia crosses the placenta. It's available on DVD from the ilads website.
They've also tested breast milk and shown it is in that.
So my poor baby got a double whammy. There's no way he was bitten by a tick, you could see when he was 8 months old something was wrong and there was never a chance for him to get bitten before that age.

His blood tests show the same positive bands that I have, which is another thing you see in kids who have got lyme congenitally from the mother.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I am so glad to hear how well your son is doing!  It is very encouraging to know that it is reversable.  I wonder how many kids with autism are out there with unknown Lyme Disease!  And yes, I too wish those studies were available on line.  

I have seen quotes from the Lyme deniers saying there is no evidence that it is transferred to a fetus, but then they say it is a good idea to keep a pregnant woman with Lyme on antibiotics.  Sounds like they are backing off just a little bit.  Unfortunately, too many doctors don't hear the "maybe" in that self contradicting recommendation and conclude it isn't possible.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Yes, my son was autistic as a result of his lyme.
He was diagnosed autistic aged 3 and was unable to speak or umderstand speech - he didn't even recognise his own name.
After 2 years of abx and 9  months of speech therapy he is bilingual and came top of his class this year!

My lyme doc said they have done 3 research projects, one in the USA and one in Scotland (don't know where the other one was). They tested autistic children for lyme disease and got 90 percent positive in one project and 80 percent in the other.
I would love to read the reports on these but they are not published on the Internet. I so dearly wish they were widely published as the information would save thousands of autistic children worldwide.

The lyme induced autism website has some useful info but beware of the online support group that it links to. The majority of the parents there take an inexplicable (to me) attitude to their lyme diseased children, choosing not to have them treated with antibiotics but instead using some of the freakiest DAN style therapies such as fixating on having hyperbaric oxygen therapy, heavy metal chelation therapy, giving them multiple enzymes to break down the biofilms supposedly residing in their intestines, etc etc. This may help but you cannot kill spirochetes like that.
They seem to have self diagnosed their autistic children with lyme (my impression) and feel no moral obligation to spend their money on actually treating the infection.
Helpful - 0
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the Lyme Disease Community

Top Infectious Diseases Answerers
1415174 tn?1453243103
CA
Learn About Top Answerers
Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Popular Resources
Fearing autism, many parents aren't vaccinating their kids. Can doctors reverse this dangerous trend?
Can HIV be transmitted through this sexual activity? Dr. Jose Gonzalez-Garcia answers this commonly-asked question.
A breakthrough study discovers how to reduce risk of HIV transmission by 95 percent.
Dr. Jose Gonzalez-Garcia provides insight to the most commonly asked question about the transfer of HIV between partners.
Before your drop a dime at the pharmacy, find out if these popular cold and flu home remedies are a wonder or a waste
Fend off colds and the flu with these disease-fighting foods