Chelation therapy is a therapy used to help people who have accidentally or deliberately ingested chemicals known to be harmful to human beings such as lead. The chelation process involves administration of a chelating chemical that binds to the material that has been swallowed. Chelation agents include compounds such as Dimercaprol and Diferiprone. Medication is given to the patient in a wide variety of ways including intravenously and orally.
Lead Paint
Chelation therapy is commonly used in children who have swallowed lead paint. Lead paint can damage a child’s organs and significantly reduce their cognitive functioning. Parents who suspect their child has eaten lead paint typically contact a doctor or go to an emergency room where the child can be treated and much of the dangerous chemical can be removed from the child's body.
Some doctors and other medical professionals have put forth chelation therapy as a solution for other illnesses. One such illness is autism.
Autism is a broad description for a wide variety of medical conditions. Autistic behavior is characterized by poor social skills, repetitive behavior, inability to read body language and impaired cognitive and kinesthetic ability. An autistic person may have only mild deficits that impact his ability to interact with others. Autistics may also have much more severe problems that can compromise the patient’s ability to speak and learn more than very simple skills. A certain subset of the population may need supervised care for the rest of their lives.
Chelation therapy has been proposed as a treatment for autism. Proponents argue that autism is really a form of mercury poisoning. They suggest that children have been damaged as a result of minute traces of chemicals found in vaccines and the environment.
Proponents point to thimerosol, a form of mercury that was once widely used in many vaccines, although it is now only used in some flu vaccines. Thimerosol acts a preservative agent to prevent infection. Thimerosol has been removed from vaccines, yet autism rates have continued to soar. Proponents of chelation therapy argue that vaccines still contain chemicals, such as aluminum, that can be dangerous to children.
Chelation Therapy Dangers
One problem with this theory is that the amount of any given chemical in any given dose of vaccine is so small as to have no discernable impact. Also, according to a study by Karin B. Nelson and Margaret L. Bauman in the March 3rd issue of Pediatrics (the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics) mercury poisoning symptoms do not match with symptoms of autism.
Chelation therapy is not cheap. A session may cost as much as $125. Many doctors who advocate chelation therapy recommend multiple sessions for children. Nor is chelation therapy typically covered under many medical plans.
Chelation therapy is also not without risks. According to Dr. Jay L. Hoecker of the Mayo Clinic, children undergoing chelation therapy face an increased possibility of liver disease and kidney failure as well as headache, nausea and vomiting from the treatment. Chelation therapy can lead to blood pressure problems and impair a child’s ability to make new blood cells.
While chelation therapy may appear to be a potential treatment for autism, a careful examination of the risks, rationale for the treatment and minimal benefit clearly indicate that this form of therapy should be avoided.
Sources:
Ball L and others. An Assessment of Thimerosal in Childhood Vaccines. PEDIATRICS 107:1147-1154, 2001
Dr. Jay L. Hoecker, Mayo Clinic.com Rochester, MN
Dr. Karin B. Nelson and Dr. Margaret L. Bauman, PEDIATRICS Thimerosol and Autism? Vol 111 No. 3 March 2002 pp. 674-679
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