I can only echo the words of Deborah Heather exactly. No Dog, but yes I too have an autistic son who regressed into an autistic state and developed diarrhoea 4 days after MMR.

Deborah Nash, Dartford, UK

Surely it cannot be much longer before the government, having saved a fortune by using triple vaccines will wake up to the fact that it is now going to cost them a thousand times over in specialist schools help and long term care. No dog/shampoos but my 16 yr old son is Autistic.More research needed

Janice, Suffolk, UK

The same conference at which this study was launched will be unveiling 3 animal based studies over the weekend, replicating Andrew Wakefield's findings with children:

http://www.ageofautism.com/2008/05/sick-monkeys-st.html#more

Will Times newspapers be reporting?

John Stone, London, UK

Kate

The resource problem has been rendered hopeless by the pretence that this is a normal situation, rather than one manufactured in the last 20 years.

Adult services are being told it was always like this, which is completely confusing, when they are asked to meet needs they have never seen.

John Stone, London, UK

John, my comment about loving children as they are was a global one - reflecting on all society. No offence intended. I know that it can be difficult to support a child with a disability, and also the anxiety about the future. I wish that there were more services. to assist in long term planning.

Kate Sommerville, Melbourne, Australia

The last paragraph is totally untrue Mr Henderson and shame on you for putting it there. It is not widely accepted at all that Autism is genetic please if so PROOF IT.
It was not that long ago that another imbecile wrote the Autism was caused by refrigerated mothers. He was wrong and so are you

Shaun , London, UK

Halleluiah, with recognition that autism can be induced by pollutants, its time to bring an end to persistent denial of the truth and acknowledge the main culprit as the most lethal of all pollutants VACCINES, undeniably the MMR, injected into the main life support systems of an underdeveloped body.

Elayne, Kent, UK

How wonderful that we have even more reason to suspect everything but the MMR vaccine , my god where has the common sense gone in this country , i have never owned a dog , but i do have an autistic child who developed chronic diahhroea and regressed into Autism after MMR vaccine ,

Deborah Heather, essex, england

The trouble, Kate, is not that we do not love our children - an offensive suggestion - but they will be helpless after we are dead. The world must wake up to what is happening.

John Stone, London, UK

Vaccines certainly seem to cause some autism. The number of vulnerable children seem vastly greater than the claim that vaccine damage is rare. Older paternal age causes a great deal of autism and no one is warned. Daughters of older fathers can transmit the gene for Fragile X etc. Warnings needed!

Leslie , Berkeley, USA

Why is there such obsession with the causes of autism? There could be so many and the cause could be different for each child.

Why not simply love and cherish the child for the unique person that s/he is and provide adequate services and support?

Kate Sommerville, Melbourne, Australia

Mitochondrial dysfunction (mtD) has now been shown to be linked to autism via vaccination in the US Poling case studies, and in a Portuguese study. Pyrethrin causes mtD; ipso facto pyrethrin has the potential to cause autism, in children in which it caused mtD, who were then vaccinated.

John Heptonstall, Leeds, England

Pregnant women who are exposed to toxic chemicals are more likely to have babies with problems... How is this news?!

What on earth happened to common sense?

Brijit , Paris, France

When my mum was pregnant i think she had more things to do than give the cat a shampoo and set!

James, Reading,

I don't have pets, never had any, but I DO have a severely autistic child. Didn't drink or smoke whilst pregnant. I avoided all medicines, dental treatment and tuna fish. I breast-fed both of my children, my second son seemed fine until the day of his MMR when life changed in such a disasterous way.

allison, Telford, Shropshire

What about the thousands of mothers who say the MMR harmed or killed their children?
What study has been done on the damaged children in the UK

NONE

Why is the Times not listening to the parents but one reporter who is obsessed with Dr. Wakefield.
Our children have been put at more risk.

Isabella Thomas, Wells, UK

What about permethrin and organophosphate Lice Shampoo products, pregnant mums with more than one child will be handling these products, never mind about pets !!

Geoff, Mission, BC

I had no pets when I was expecting my autistic son (Now 14yrs old) so whilst I can't say that this possible cause springs to mind, I can't completely rule out having stroked my mother's pet dog who always wore a flea collar.
Beside, it's MEASLES not MMR or mercury in vaccines that causes autism

Freda Livery, Lancashire, England

The argument closes against those who state that vaccinations do not cause autism. Pyrethrins are a known cause of mitochondrial dysfunction and, as the Hannah Poling case in the US suggests, a child who has mitochondrial dysfunction is at risk of developing autism from vaccination.

Jack Humphries, Leeds, UK

Hi, we had no pets or pet shampoo and I have a son with autism. I do think there are many chemicals (including the ones and heavy metals in vaccines) which may be one of the causative factors of the epidemic in regressive autism. It would be wise to take notice of what is happening in the USA.

Lara Hawkings, Bexley, kent

Yes John exactly heres the link

http://www.cryshame.co.UK/

The site above has the video

Whats the next link the mind wonders Autism -chocolate lin sounds a good one ??

Angus Files, Oban , UK

If the results are preliminary, why are you publishing the story? Wait until the tests are complete before you create yet another scare.
The power of the press is a weapon that should be weided with great responsibity, something which is increasingly rare these days!

Pete, St Albans, England

Yes there may be some truth in that
Pyrethrin chemicals in pet shampoo may increase autism risk

In my son's case that is not the reason. Sadly for him he was damaged by an un safe vaccine called MMR. I can confirm that I have no dog and did not wash any dog whilst pregnant.

unbelievable!

Joan Campbell, Glasgow, Scotland

There are many triggers for childrens descent into Autism. Without a doubt pesticides, viral assault, vaccines..... The latter issue vaccines, just will not to be discussed by many. This week in the USA, Bernadine Healy (ex-NIH) has asked for more research on this. Cant we do the same in the UK?

Dr Caroline Traa, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

On Monday night, former head of the US National Institutes of Health, Bernadine Healy, gave an interview on CBS news to say that the vaccine-autism link has not been properly investigated. Why has this not been reported in the UK?

John Stone, London, UK