Since 1995 - Non Profit Healthcare Advice

Do Vaccinations Cause Autism?

05/20/2010

Question:

My baby girl, who is 5 months old now, used to babble constantly at 3 months. After her vaccines at 4 months, she went silence … no more babbling or cooing. It’s been 6+ weeks and it’s the same still. She still smiles and just learned to roll over. What should I do? Please help!

Answer:

Dear Parent:

If your baby has stopped babbling for more than 6 weeks, as a first step I would contact your pediatrician and ask to have his/her hearing checked. Children often fluctuate in their developmental milestones and progress, so it is not uncommon for a child to make sounds for awhile and then develop motor skills like rolling over. It is a good sign that your baby continues to smile and respond to you socially, but get his/her hearing checked.

Lastly, there have been several large well-designed studies both in the US and abroad looking at childhood vaccinations and autism.  All of them indicate that vaccinations do not cause autism.

Keep responding to your child’s small actions and gazes during social exchanges.

For more information:

Go to the Autism health topic.