Surprise! NO link between MMR and autism

[Stravo]

She like I was when I raised my daughter is opposed to pacifiers. I've seen too many hispanic kids at 4 and 5 with pacifiers in their mouths.

There's no problem with pacifiers as long as you are prepared to be ruthless about getting rid of them when their teeth start to come in. Those 4-5 year olds with pacifiers are going to have some messed up front teeth.

Its best this way, this is a woman that can't put him down for five minutes because he will cry to take a shower, you really think she'll take that pacifier away when its time? He'll be one pacifier sucking 6 yo I'll tell you that.

WHy the fuck am I more involved with this kid's life than his dad, UGH it just pisses me off sometimes.

[Pablo Sanchez]

Its best this way, this is a woman that can't put him down for five minutes because he will cry to take a shower, you really think she'll take that pacifier away when its time? He'll be one pacifier sucking 6 yo I'll tell you that.

Meh. You can get some serious dental malformation if your kid keeps sucking on things through the whole game. The front teeth will come in with a big gap, or the kid will have a monster overbite, that kind of thing. Nothing crippling, most of the time. More than likely the poor boy will have to get braces later, with all that goes with that. There are actually a number of good ways to break the habit permanently for 3-year-old kids, but whatever.

WHy the fuck am I more involved with this kid's life than his dad, UGH it just pisses me off sometimes.

Well, somebody has to take an interest, I suppose, and you're making it you.

[Broomstick]

She's one of these Vegans that believes in everything needs to be natural and good. (Partly because she's allergic to ALOT of food, a wonderful trait she has passed onto her offspring, you wanna talk about a happy childhood? No milk, bread, chocolate and those are the allergins so far.) so she buys into ALOT of this bullshit regarding additives to foods - including the godawful view that genetically engineered foods can hurt you. She's a prime candidate to join a cult - oh wait I forgot she's a born again Christian, Jesus beat me to it.

I've got a shitload of allergies myself, but that didn't require me to adopt an unhealty diet like extreme Veganism, join a whacko cult, or reject science. Sure, it's a pain in the ass, but the food additive bullshit is just that, for the most part - bullshit. It's not the additives I'm allergic to, it's perfectly "healthy", all natural items like tomatoes, and removing dietary additives isn't going to cure that. Further restricting the diet due to dumbshit restrictions based on fantasies is what's likely to hurt a kid with food allergies in the long run.

[Broomstick]

Wow - vaccination rates are so low in the UK, it essentially invalidates the defence? I'm not sure I've ever met anyone who wasn't immunised...

The thought processes of these people apall me. Does anyone remember the 'it'll make my boodiful baby CRY!' crowd last decade?

These parents really need to talk to their grandparents. They will remember (either as children or as young parents) dealing with mass outbreaks of measles, chickenpox, etc... (you name it) and the fact that PEOPLE DIE of these diseases. So you give your kid (at most) a supremely small risk of autism or a much higher risk of catching a disease. And a measurable percentage of people catching measles will die or suffer very serious side effects.

I recently had a discussion with a co-worker who is a new mother and it was about how, as a parent, you really do want to protect your child from every little hurt... but also how, as an intelligent human being, you realize that's impossible and yes, your child will get bumps and bruises and sometimes you even have to hurt them a little now to prevent worse hurt later - like vaccinating them against diseases. And you force yourself to do it, for the good of your child. That is, you do it if you're a good and responsible parent.

[Broomstick]

No, she's at least smart enough to realize that. Its just that she will be limited in what she can feed him due to his severe food allergies. For instance he can barely stomach soy milk (no way he can have cow milk). The only milk he has no issues with is breast milk. He can't eat certain wheats, etc. So she will have to give him a specialized diet nonetheless.

It sounds kinda stupid to say this, but make sure she knows that she can pump her breast milk and put it in the food. If nothing else it'll relieve the stress of having to breast feed constantly.

Sounds like she needs to see both an alergy specialist and a dieticition for the little guy.

I'm sure that you know that feeding a kid food he's allergic too can make for a very cranky, very poopy kid.

I second the recommendation for an allergist and dietician - especially since the kid could be allergic to "healthy, all-natural, organic" foods. Or vegetables. ALL my food allergies are to plant products (which is why I can't become a vegetarian). Then there's my niece, who couldn't tolerate a lot of plant foods but could happily eat bologna and pork sausage and other "unhealthy", processed stuff and thrive on it. This woman could be unwittingly feeding her kid something "healthy" that, in fact, he is allergic to. It may, in fact, be healthier for this kid to eat a cheeseburger than to eat a typical salad because of what he is or is not allergic to.

And make sure, if she's does go to a dietician, she goes to a sane one - "rotation" diets are horseshit and result in a huge bother. A highly allergic kid may not have a normal diet, but he can still have a healthy one.

And ditto on the cranky allergic baby - I was quite a handful until they got a grip on what was triggering my problem. Not only crankiness, but projectile vomiting and technicolor skin rashes. Once it was sorted out, though, I turned into a little darling (well, at least no worse than a normal toddler - not sure if that's really "darling'!)

[Broomstick]

Frankly she just has to realize that if you live your life afraid of hearing your child cry things are going to get nasty for you as time goes on.

Exactly, it'll be hell breaking the attachment when it's time for school.

At which point she'll probably decide to homeschool, rather than part with the little darling....

[Uraniun235]

Here in Canada they have a simple and elegant way of making parents get vaccinations for their kids; they won't let your kid attend public school if he's not vaccinated. Of course, that won't stop the homeschooler crowd.

I don't know about the other states, but I know Oregon does approximately the same thing.

[Sea Skimmer]

Here in Canada they have a simple and elegant way of making parents get vaccinations for their kids; they won't let your kid attend public school if he's not vaccinated. Of course, that won't stop the homeschooler crowd.

I don't know about the other states, but I know Oregon does approximately the same thing.

Same for Pennsylvania, though IIRC the number of required vaccinations is on the low side.

[spikenigma]

why not let people simply pay for the single jabs, can't cost that much?

[Sharp-kun]

why not let people simply pay for the single jabs, can't cost that much?

I recall reading somewhere that there was a greater risk in single jabs?