So one of the trends that the internet is supposed to be fostering is a increase in “reason,” supposedly anchored by a strong pro-science, anti-religion mentality. However the spread of “reason” on the internet seems to have missed the latest trend in hyper-parenting: deliberately choosing not to vaccinate one’s children.

The “reason” for choosing not to immunize one’s children in order to prevent them from suffering from the very real diseases of measles, mumps, whooping cough, rubella, chicken pox, and a host of other childhood diseases? An increase in the rate of children being diagnosed with autism, and a tenuous attribution of that increase to the contents of the childhood vaccinations that were, up until recently, given to all children.

Never mind that attributing anything to a factor that is universally applied makes any logical sense. One could just as easily attribute an increase in autism to children breathing nitrogen in the air and subsequently force children to wear oxygen masks 24/7 – for there is just as much hard science linking nitrogen with autism as there is linking childhood vaccinations with autism.  Recently three separate court cases have ruled that there is no causal link between vaccination and autism:

In fact, in one ruling, a special master (the judge, essentially) said the parents of one troubled child had “been misled by physicians who are guilty, in my view, of gross medical misjudgment.” The claims of links between autism and vaccines were also cited as “speculative and unpersuasive.”

Not only are parents being mislead by physicians, but also by radio hosts, who apparently have no issue with threatening scientists who attempt to debunk their hyperbole.

What does this say about people’s attitudes towards autism if one would rather risk their child getting a serious and potentially fatal disease such as measles rather than risk their child becoming autistic? I understand that a life with autism is a struggle for children and adults who have this condition – but is it truly a “curse” whose risks must be avoided at all costs?

I have no issue with people choosing to endanger their own children by failing to immunize them. However, when lack of immunization creates a public health risk, such as the one profiled in this episode of the popular NPR program  This American Life, it becomes an entirely different matter. The idea of a child of mine potentially being exposed to a non-vaccinated child in the interregnum between birth and when my child would be eligible for vaccination makes me wonder why these parents feel it necessary to gamble with everyone’s health, not just that of their own child.

The anti-vaccination scare is unfortunately a symptom of a larger trend in parenting: living in abject fear of any potential threat to one’s children.  Two more examples:

• Germs are everywhere.  Reaction: anti-bacterial everything.  Unintended side effect: increased succeptability to disease and allergies due to the killing of healthy flora in childrens’ environments.
• Danger is everywhere.  Reaction: kids are watched 24/7.  Unintended side effects: kids don’t go outside to play and exercise; childhood obesity rises; children fail to develop proper social skills through unstructured play.

Fortunately I have noticed that among my friends who are having children a negative reaction to this trend.  While not neglecting their children, they are mindful of the concept that their role is to raise adults, not children.  There is risk everywhere in the world; one’s objective should be raising an adult who knows how to weigh risk rather than live in abject fear of it.