BIOMEDICAL
Anju Usman, MD, is the medical director
of True Health Medical Center and Pure
Compounding Pharmacy in Naperville,
Illinois. She specializes in the biomedical
treatment of children with autism/ADD
and developmental delays. She has
been involved in researching copper/zinc
imbalances, metallothionein dysfunction,
hyperbaric oxygen therapy, nucca
adjustments and chronic infections in
ASD patients. She is actively involved
in the Defeat Autism Now! movement
as a speaker and advisor. She is also
co-founder of ACE (Autism Center for
Enlightenment), a non-profit dedicated
to education, research, and support for
families.
Beth Hynes, JD, MBA, earned
a law degree from Northwestern
University School of Law, where she
also served as an editor of the Law
Review, and a masters degree in
business administration from New York
University’s Stern School of Business.
Now serving as the director of business
affairs for a global division of a Fortune
10 company, Beth has spent more than
twenty years negotiating complex
transactions in a variety of legal and
business capacities. Mom to fraternal
twin boys, one of whom is impacted by
autism, Beth teamed with Dr. Usman
and her husband, Kevin, to found the
Autism Center for Enlightenment, a
not-for-profit foundation dedicated to
supporting research and other initiatives
for families pursuing recovery from
autism for their children.
82 THE AUTISM FILE | www.autismfile.com ISSUE 31 2009
BY ANJU USMAN, MD AND BETH C. HYNES, JD, MBA
E
very parent’s dream is to have a
healthy baby. Over the past ten years
of working with families devastated by
the diagnosis of autism, we, along with our
patients’ parents, have realized one key fact:
if we knew then what we know now, the
diagnosis of the disease called autism could
very well have been prevented. Considering
that the cause(s) of the current epidemic
of autism spectrum disorders (ASD)1 are
unknown (and scant research dollars are
being dedicated to finding the most likely
culprits), there is no surefire method to
avoid having your infant regress into this
devastating state. That sad fact, however,
does not mean that there are no proactive
steps parents can take to try to mitigate the
chances of this disease overtaking their baby
and stealing their hopes and dreams for that
child’s life.
Having reviewed the medical and
laboratory test results of thousands of
children afflicted with ASD, clinicians
using a biomedical approach to treating
autism see repeating patterns in these
children - impaired methylation and
detoxification, mitochondrial dysfunction,
gastrointestinal distress, and immune
dysregulation compounded by chronic
viral, fungal and bacterial infections and a
burden of heavy metals and other toxins.
From this perspective, we have come to
view autism as a multifactorial medical
disease that can be treated and overcome
and, therefore, possibly avoided. Coming
straight from the heart, this advice is for
thinking, active parents and prospective
parents who want to know what they can
do to reduce the risk that their infant will
regress into autism.2 In our practice, we
have helped many parents go on to have
healthy children even though they already
have a child with autism. Considering that
the information provided here is not harmful
but, to the contrary, is helpful in promoting
improved maternal and fetal health, there is
little downside to pursuing these strategies
while simultaneously minimizing the risk of
having your child slip away into the autism
epidemic. According to the latest statistics
out of California, that epidemic continues
to grow from the already shocking 1 out of
150 children.3 The aim here is to provide an
analytical construct that will guide parents in
making choices for both their own health and
that of their baby before, during, and after
pregnancy.
Think of the analogy of the straw that
broke the camel’s back. Human beings
start life as infants with some “straws” in
their saddle – these are predispositions
to be harmed by certain chemicals, to be
susceptible to certain diseases, or to have
a less robust detoxification capacity. The
goal of gestating and parenting an infant
in today’s toxic world is to not accumulate
additional straws during your baby’s
gestation and infancy, thereby avoiding
adding the straw that breaks the camel’s
back. Autism seems to occur when the
infant’s body is so overwhelmed by toxins,
viruses and/or pathogenic elements that
typical development is arrested and/or
derailed.
Children diagnosed with autism have
a variety of medical problems, the
underpinnings of which can be ameliorated
and/or healed. The symptoms associated
with autism occur through malfunctioning
of the infant immune, gastrointestinal,
and central nervous systems (“Infant
Body Systems”) – all of which, when
functioning properly, contribute to the
healthy development of the brain. Viruses,

It has been found that DMPS was a useful and
complementary method to increase fertility compared
to hormone therapy in infertile women.
heavy metals, toxins, fungi, and bacteria
together form a weapon that disrupts the
development of, and harms the functioning
of, these critical Infant Body Systems. As
researchers have recently found, “a single
toxicant may promote different immune-
associated diseases that are dependent upon
the specific window of early life exposure,
the gender of the exposed offspring, and
the genetic background of the offspring.”4
Our construct will consist of actions you can
take to promote the healthy development of
these Infant Body Systems as well as steps
you can take to avoid upsetting the healthy
development of those systems.
Due to the symbiotic relationship between
a mother and her developing fetus, care must
be taken by the mom before, during, and
after pregnancy (if nursing) to both avoid
exposure to harmful elements and to promote
optimal maternal detoxification processes
so that the host body remains as clean
an environment as possible within which
vigorous infant development can unfold.
Only recently have researchers begun
closely linking environmental factors with
developmental delays in our children.5 A
host of studies show how environmental
factors including diet, nutrition, air quality,
clean water, heavy metals (e.g., mercury,
lead, arsenic, and aluminum), xenobiotics
(e.g., chemicals, pesticides, plasticizers,
and perchlorates), pharmaceuticals, and
vaccinations can change your child’s inborn
risk.6 This area of study is called epigenetics –
the molecular changes in our DNA caused by
environmental factors. In 2003, researchers
at Duke University found that rats carrying a
gene for obesity, cancer, and diabetes, when
fed a diet high in B-12, folic acid, choline,
and methyl-rich foods, had babies that were
born healthy and with a reduced risk of
developing disease; this research revealed
that these genetic changes persisted across
four generations. Thus, when you eat a
healthy diet, you are affecting not only
the health of your own kids but also your
grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and
great-great-grandchildren. Researchers
are finding hundreds of unwanted and
potentially toxic chemicals in the placenta
and cord blood of newborns as well as in
ISSUE 31 2009 www.autismfile.com | THE AUTISM FILE
mothers’ breast milk.7 That means that
today’s children are born with a toxic burden
their infant bodies must contend with from
day one. Studies out of China, Texas,8 and
San Francisco9 show that if pregnant mothers
can decrease their exposure to pollutants
during gestation, they can improve health
outcomes for their children - especially brain
development. Compounds such as mercury,
cadmium, nickel, trichloroethylene, and vinyl
chloride in the air around the birth residence
caused a 50% increase in the risk of autism.10
Numerous studies document the
neurotoxic effects of heavy metals -
especially dangerous to the developing
brain is mercury.11 Yet, many of our children
are actually injected with the mercury-
containing preservative thimerosal in their
infant vaccines. Although thimerosal has
been removed from, or perhaps phased out
of, many childhood vaccines, it still remains
in the flu vaccine, which is recommended
by health authorities to pregnant woman
as well as to children under age 2. Mercury
exposure is such a concern that pregnant
women are advised by health authorities
not to eat fish because of potential mercury
contamination – yet injecting thimerosal is
much more damaging than the exposure
suffered through eating it in food such
as fish. Vaccines also contain aluminum,
formaldehyde, and other toxic elements
as well as live viruses that, in a subset of
infant bodies, can trigger harmful impacts.12
Heavy metals have also been identified as
factors affecting human fertility. Diagnosing
and reducing the heavy metal burden
of women improved the spontaneous
conception chances of infertile women.13
Women with many dental amalgams had
a higher incidence of miscarriages and a
higher excretion of mercury when given the
chelating agent DMPS (2,3-Dimercapto-
1-propanesulfonic acid). It has been found
that DMPS was a useful and complementary
method to increase fertility compared to
hormone therapy in infertile women.14
With all this evidence mounting against
various environmental toxins affecting
human development, an international
assembly of scientists, doctors, toxicologists,
and researchers sponsored by the World
Health Organization (WHO), the European
Environmental Agency, the Centers for
Disease Control (CDC), and the National
Institutes of Health (NIH) gathered in
the Faroe Islands in May 2006.15 Their
consensus statement was clear: “it is time
to take action, now.” As expected, the
declaration highlighted the results of
hundreds of studies that showed early fetal
exposures to toxic substances, even at low
concentrations, can cause health problems
later in life. There are a growing number
of chemicals that affect the developing
embryo, fetus, and infant, including the
pesticides DDT, atrazine, methoxychlor, and
vinclozolin. Also suspect are plastics and
the epoxy resin bisphenol A, plasticizing
agents called phthalates, mercury, lead,
arsenic, organotoxins, polychlorinated
biphenols (PCBs), carbon monoxide, smog,
tobacco smoke, and alcohol. The health
problems caused by exposure to these
substances comprise a dizzying array of
maladies including cancer, diabetes, obesity,
asthma, and allergies as well as reproductive,
cardiovascular, neurological, cognitive,
endocrine, psychological, immune, and
respiratory troubles.
Other troubling chemicals include parabens
(found in various creams and lotions) and
triclosan, an antibacterial agent (found in
toothpaste, soaps, and cleaning products).
Although parabens and triclosan are not
ingested, absorbing chemicals through
the skin can be far more dangerous than
swallowing because transdermal applications
are transported directly to the bloodstream.
Most women absorb 51 pounds of chemicals
every year from their cosmetics alone!
Additional exposures emanate from daily
lifestyle, profession, and locale. For those
elements for which we have the flexibility
to make choices, we must choose wisely.
After all, it is not just our health that is being
affected by our choices but the health of our
children and progeny as well.
Basic principles to guide you in decision
making surrounding pregnancy are as follows:
1. You are what you eat (and drink);
therefore, make healthy choices in what
you consume.
2. Skin is the largest organ in the body,
so be very careful of what you rub into
yours and your baby’s.
3. Think beyond “green”: What is “green”
for the environment is not always what
is healthiest for the body, but what is
healthiest for the body is always “green.”
83
 BIOMEDICAL

Suggestions to promote these principles are below and are cumulative, so keep following each set of
suggestions as this journey into and through parenthood progresses.

Pre-Pregnancy
While planning a pregnancy, we recommend that you clean up any toxicity in your body and begin to follow a more organic,
healthy lifestyle. Remember, the less toxic you are, the better for you and your future baby. Undertake a sequential detoxification
program that targets the liver and colon; this type of program can take six months or more and should not be done while
pregnant. In a careful manner, with an experienced dentist, remove amalgams from your teeth, which also can take six months or
more. Take the time now to find organic, nontoxic makeup, hair, and body products that you like and start integrating them into
your daily life. Ask your doctor to run some tests to determine any additional specific supplementation you may need to optimize
levels within your body; a good place to start is your copper-zinc ratio (1:1 is the ideal ratio), thyroid function (TSH, free t3, free
t4), Vitamin D 25 OH,16 vitamin A levels, and total cholesterol (low cholesterol is associated with preterm births).
Next, clean up your living and working environment.17 Remove all harmful chemical cleaning agents from your cleaning routine
at home and at the office, and instead use cleaning products labeled level 1 by the EPA. Do not forget to include products for
dishwashing and clothing detergent in your cleanup, and avoid toxic dry cleaning as much as possible. Finally, improve your
nutrition with a targeted vitamin supplementation program to include omega-3 essential fatty acids, sublingual methyl B-12,
folinic acid, vitamin D3, zinc, and antioxidants.

DO DON’T
Eat organic, hormone-free food Consume fish or foods w/MSG or food dyes
Drink organic green tea, filtered water, and Drink soda, carbonated beverages, or alcohol
antioxidant rich organic juices
Use stevia, raw organic honey, and xylitol as sweeteners Consume artificial sweeteners
Go for walks and get some sunshine daily Be exposed to lawn chemicals or second-hand smoke
Use aluminum-free natural deodorant Use moisturizers or makeup with chemicals or parabens in them
Use natural hennas to color your hair Use chemical dyes, perms, or other such hair treatments
Use cast iron, glass, or stainless steel cookware Cook with pans that are non-stick, Teflon coated, or made from aluminum
Use chemical-free cleaning products in your home Clean rugs with harmful chemicals, use pesticides, or chemically treat your lawn

During Pregnancy
We would suggest that you find a holistic health practice to guide you during pregnancy and delivery as there are many decisions
to make during this time. In general, we suggest avoiding medications to the extent possible as well as acetaminophen because
it hinders normal detoxification. Add zinc, calcium, essential fatty acids, and prenatal vitamins to your daily supplement intake.
Discontinue use of nail polish and any makeup (including lipstick) products that contain parabens and other toxins. Use fluoride-
free toothpaste as fluoride interferes with iodine metabolism, which is an issue implicated in mental retardation worldwide.

DO DON’T
Yoga and engage in stress management techniques, Start a rigorous exercise program, sit in a sauna, or get dental work
such as massages and listening to soothing music (not even cleanings)
Get mercury-free RhoGAM if you need this Wait until labor arrives to discuss NOT subjecting your baby to vaccines
intervention at birth, like the hepatitis B vaccine
Eat fermented foods, cook with organic coconut oil, Eat fast food or seafood (especially tuna), consume food packaged
use organic raw apple cider as salad dressing, in plastic or Styrofoam, or use a microwave
and consume healthy fats, and cold pressed oil
Use natural remedies for pain, like homeopathic arnica Use acetaminophen
Drink kombucha and take probiotics Pursue a detoxification regimen
Use a corded headset Talk on a cell phone without a headset or work with a laptop computer
on your lap
Run an air filter in your bedroom while you sleep Undertake a major home renovation (concern is for lead and other
toxins in the process)

84 THE AUTISM FILE | www.autismfile.com ISSUE 31 2009

 Infancy
Healthy babies grow and develop perfectly when nature’s biochemical processes are
allowed to unfold uninterrupted. The sequence of events that leads an infant to begin
to focus, develop gross and fine motor skills, begin to speak and to walk is based on
a delicate but deliberate series of biochemical processes and chemical interactions.
A primary goal of raising a healthy infant is to avoid disruption or interference with
this sequence. Babies look fragile and, indeed, they are. An infant’s immune system,
which guards the rest of the body from harm, is immature and requires time and peace
to mature maximally. Thus, help your infant progress uninterrupted by avoiding the
introduction of toxins, viruses, allergens, and heavy metals into their bodies. In light
of this, parents should consider an alternate, gradual vaccine schedule of carefully
thought through vaccines for infants being raised in the domestic United States.18
If you have amalgams and plan to nurse, you should send a sample of your breast
milk to a specialty lab for heavy metal testing. If you plan to use formula, use those
containing DHA (docosahexanenoic acid), an essential fatty acid critical to the healthy
development of the central nervous system. In terms of food introduction, organic baby food is recommended. Start feeding
with organic rice cereal. Avoid the introduction of soy, gluten, or dairy until after the baby turns two years of age. After one year,
supplement your baby with a quarter teaspoon of mercury-free cod liver oil – again this is to increase the supply of omega-3
essential fatty acids.
In terms of coping with baby colds and other minor illnesses, unless symptoms are severe, less is more when it comes to
treatment. For fevers over 101˚F, treat with a tepid bath or dye-free ibuprofen. Fevers, while nerve-wracking for new parents, are
the response of a healthy immune system reacting to kill off an invading virus through heat. Antibiotics should be used sparingly
and only for confirmed bacterial infections (they do not alleviate viral infections). Remember, antibiotic use disrupts the normal
gut flora and promotes the overgrowth of yeast and resistant organisms that, in turn, harms the optimal functioning of the
immune system. Bear in mind that most ear infections are viral and are thus not treatable with antibiotics. Use homeopathic ear
drops to help ease the symptoms associated with ear infections and colds.

DO DON’T
Invest in an organic baby mattress, bedding, and Clothe the baby in pajamas soaked in flame retardant chemicals
pillows and hypoallergenic encasements
Bathe your baby daily in warm filtered water — Use soaps, moisturizers, or other “baby products” on the skin as such
enjoy the experience with your baby! items are unnecessary and contain harmful chemicals
Feed with all organic and hormone-free products Introduce dairy, gluten, or soy until after age two
Feed baby using glass bottles Feed baby from plastic bottles or cups or microwave formula or breast milk
Wearing a hat, walk outside with baby to get Use sunscreen on baby
10 to 15 minutes of sunshine daily
Run an air filter in baby’s bedroom Take your infant into polluted and heavily populated locations

Autism is not inevitable in 1 out of every
150 children. A mounting body of evidence
is pointing to environmental factors as
the culprit that overwhelms the delicate,
developing immune, gastrointestinal, and
neurological systems. In summary, cleaning
up your home environment, detoxifying
yourself prior to pregnancy, avoiding
toxic exposures, and limiting stressors on
the developing fetal and infant immune
system can allow an infant the best chance
to develop a healthy body. In counseling
parents of children with autism, our By reducing the number of straws your
message is quite simple – children are baby is born with and not adding straws
adversely affected by environmental toxins, during infancy, you reduce the likelihood
viruses, and bacteria, and the manifestation of breaking the camel’s back.
of that toxicity is the neuro/immuno/
inflammatory condition called AUTISM.
Increasingly, autism is understood to be
an environmentally-triggered disease and,
therefore, by recognizing and evading
these environmental toxins, our babies
have a better chance of avoiding being
overcome and succumbing to this disease.

Autism is not inevitable in 1 out of every 150 children

ISSUE 31 2009 www.autismfile.com | THE AUTISM FILE 85
 BIOMEDICAL

References 14
Gerhard, J. et al., Heavy Metals and Fertility J Toxicol Environ
1
“Autism” means autism spectrum disorders (ASD) including Health 1998 Aug 21.
autistic disorder, pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise 15
Grandjean, P. A Retrospective Study of PBDE’s and PCB’s in
specified, atypical autism and Asperger’s syndrome. Human Milk from the Faroe Island. Environ Health 2005 and
2
This article is an overview of a book we expect to publish next Grandjean, P Umbilical Cord Mercury Concentration as a Biomarker
spring that will delve into these topics more comprehensively and of Prenatal Exposure to Methylmercury. Environ Health Perspect
that will include a specific resource guide. 2005 (113) and Landrigan, PJ. The National Children’s Study, a
Critical National Investment. Environ Health Perspect 2004, Oct.
3
CDC’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring
Network released data in 2007 that found about 1 in 150 8-year-
16
Kovacs, C. Vitamin D in pregnancy and lactation: maternal, fetal,
old children in multiple areas of the United States had an ASD. and neonatal outcomes from human and animal studies. Am J Clin
See also, State of California Dept. of Developmental Services, Nutr 2008;88(suppl):520S– 8S.
www.dds.ca.gov. A 2002 study by the M.I.N.D. Institute at the 17
EPA’s Total Exposure Assessment Methodology (TEAM) studies
University of California at Davis stated that “the unprecedented found levels of about a dozen common organic pollutants to
increase in autism in California is real and cannot be explained be 2 to 5 times higher inside homes than outside, regardless
away by artificial factors such as misclassification and criteria of whether the homes were located in rural or highly industrial
changes, nor by in-migration.” Study by Byrd et al., M.I.N.D. areas. Additional TEAM studies indicate that while people are
Institute, University of California at Davis, The Epidemiology of using products containing organic chemicals, they can expose
Autism in California, October 2002. themselves and others to very high pollutant levels, and elevated
4
RR Dietert. Developmental Immunotoxicology: Focus on Health concentrations can persist in the air long after the activity is
Risks. Chem Res Toxicol, 2008 Sept.11. completed.
5
Environmental Working Group. A Benchmark Investigation of
18
For more information about infant vaccines and possible
Industrial Chemicals. Body Burden 2005 July 14. alternative schedules, see Sears, Robert W. The Vaccine Book
(Little, Brown 2007).
6
Geier, MR. Thimerosal Exposure in Infants and
Neurodevelopmental Disorders, An Assessment of Computerized
Medical Records in the Vaccine Safety Datalink. J. Neurol. Sci.,
2008 May 14.
7
Dorea, JG. Exposure to Mercury during the First Six Months
via Human Milk and Vaccines: Modifying Risk Factors. Am J
Perinatol, 2007 June 12.
8
Palmer, RF et al. Proximity to Point Sources of Environmental
Mercury Release as a Predictor of Autism Prevalence. Health &
Place, 2008 Mar 15.
9
Windham, GC et al. Autism Spectrum Disorders in Relation to
Distribution of Hazardous Pollutants in the San Francisco Bay
area. Environ Health Perspect, 2006 Sept. 21.
10
These compounds and others that contribute to smog also
affect lung development and lung capacity in humans.
11
Transandre, L. Mental Retardation and prenatal methylmercury
toxicity. Am J Ind Med 2006 Mar. 603 E. Diehl Road, Suite 131, Naperville, Illinois 60563
12
Viruses in vaccines have been implicated in inflammatory bowel
disease and autism. V. Kawashima, Takayuki et al. Detection
Ph: (630) 995-4300 or (877) 976-7873
and Sequencing of Measles Virus from Peripheral Mononuclear Custom Allergen Free Prescriptions

Cells from Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Autism.
Digestive Diseases & Science, Vol 45, No. 4, April 2000, pp723-
729. See also, Walker, S.J., Hepner K., Segal, J., & Krigsman
A. Persistent Ileal Measles Virus in Large Cohort of Regressive
Autistic Children with Ileocolitis and Lymphonodular Hyperplasia:
Revisitation of an Earlier Study. Wake Forest University School of
Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC.
13
Gerhard, J. Heavy Metals and Fertility. J Toxicol Environ Health
A. 1998 Aug 21;54(8):593-611
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86 THE AUTISM FILE | www.autismfile.com ISSUE 31 2009