Autism

A doctor who is often brought up whenever someone is discussing whether vaccines cause autism, Dr. Mark Geier, has had his medical license suspended in Maryland.
The action wasn't related to his research, but instead to his treating children who have autism with injections of Lupron, a drug that lowers testosterone levels. While many media articles are describing Lupron as a drug that is used to chemically castrate sex offenders, it does have other uses. For example, it is used to delay puberty in children who start puberty too early. So if a seven-year-old girl was starting puberty and wasn't mentally or emotionally ready, then she might be given monthly Lupron injections to delay the start of puberty for a few years.

Unfortunately, Lupron shots can be painful and they are very expensive. They can have other side effects too and are not approved as a treatment for autism.

In suspending Dr. Geier's license, the Maryland Board of Physicians stated that he incorrectly diagnosed children with precocious puberty (early puberty), sometimes even without examining the children, and prescribed them Lupron, which endangered and exploited the children.

Posted in: World News