Ethics Quiz for Dr. Deth
March 26, 2006 by Do'C 
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In Kathleen’s Neurodiversity blog entry ”An Exchange Of Views“, she documents correspondence with Dr. Richard Deth (I understand it’s pronounced, “Deeth”), about his potential involvement with the Autism Omnibus Proceeding as an expert witness.
Dr. Deth’s second-to-last sentence caught my attention:
“However, I would like to make a virtual wager that within the next 18-24 months scientific evidence will make the thimerosal-autism link a near certainty.”
I wonder what Dr. Deth’s take would be on the ethics of the chelation research that is currently underway at the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine.
Note: this research protocol was “nixed” by the IRB of Arizona State University, according to Dr. Sandy Newmark.
It’s pretty clear that Dr. Deth acknowledges that today’s available scientific evidence does not make the Thimerosal-autism link a “near certainty”, since he speculates that this will happen in the next 18-24 months. Speculating that it will happen, cleary implies that this has not happened yet, in his opinion. If the available scientific evidence is not “near certain” today, would he view the SCNM chelation research ethical?
Let’s review the minimum scientific ethics that should have been required by an IRB, prior to approval for research with human subjects.
Forget any safety concerns (that might or might not have in the absence of existing long-term studies about the safety of DMSA chelation therapy for autistic children). Forget about any conditions of informed consent that may or may not have been met. Forget about the requirements for appropriate medical supervision that may or may not be in place.
From Sanford Newmark, MD’s website: “Dr. Newmark is personally experienced in the areas of nutrition, nutritional and botanical supplements, general pediatric medicine and mind-body medicine”.
Forget about the use of a mail-order lab, its associated potenitally artificial reference ranges, the non-standard methodolgy, and associated lack of normative studies for the provocation and collection methods in use. Forget about the inadequacy of appropriate control group matching, or lack of measurement and tracking of effects of other therapies or interventions.
Let’s stick just to the ethics of the basic science shall we?
Step 1. Scientifically establish mercury-autism link.
Step 2. Scientifically establish actual mercury toxicity of people with autism
Notes: Step 2. also requires that the toxicology methodolgy be proven and supported by normative studies. The term “scientifically establish” means through the process of real peer-review and publication. Repeatability and subsequent scientific verifiability of results is required. Publication in special-interest journals that are not indexed by a source such as PubMed (where an IRB should require reference to correlative research) doesn’t count.
With the presence of both 1 and 2, move on to 3.
3. Conduct reasearch about how reduce/correct mercury toxicity, and document effects on human research subjects.
Here’s a little ethics quiz for Dr. Deth
Assume that you really think (not believe) that conclusive scientific evidence of a Thimerosal-autism link is soon to be published, or is even inevitable. When will chelation research as an “autism treatment” with human subjects be scientifically ethical?
A. It’s ethical now
B. Not yet, but within 18-24 months
C. Only after both steps 1 and 2 have been completed
D. It will never be scientifically ethical
Please choose the best answer.
9 Comments
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Comment by Camille — 27 March, 2006 @ 1:07 am
Ooooh,
The horns of a quadrilemma?
The thing is–chelation is already curing heart disease and diabetes and acne… isn’t it? (no) so it must be good for autism, too. It’s perfectly logical. (not)
Thanks, D o’ C.
Comment by KChew — 27 March, 2006 @ 9:47 am
Living in Autismland and trying to do the best for our kids does throw us into a morass of questions, ethical and emotional, in almost every moment of our lives. Keep asking the hard questions.
Comment by impatientpatient — 28 March, 2006 @ 6:53 pm
What a beautiful new home you have!!!
Comment by Dad Of Cameron — 28 March, 2006 @ 7:23 pm
Thanks impatient, nice to hear from you, it’s been awhile.
Comment by SquareGirl — 28 March, 2006 @ 10:40 pm
Dad of Cameron,
Thanks for the info on Estee’s website. I didn’t know that about Kevin Trudeau, and I can admit to making mistakes, but usually they are of the twenty dollars or less variety (it was on sale) and aren’t risky. Why I have no problem letting people know about the EASe CD’s instead of AST and letting people know that miso and cilantro are natural chelators, but in no way is this to imply that mercury causes autism, just hey…if you already like these things, it’s not gonna hurt you or make anyone rich by eating them and supposedly they eliminate toxins. I try to keep my mistakes limited to the reasonably priced, non-risky ones, so I might unintentionally buy a book written by someone known for being a con and have an extra bowl of miso soup, I consider those pretty risk-free (I’m out twenty buck, but I’ll live). I don’t encourage risks that go beyond that however.
Again, thanks for letting me know. I’ll read the wiki info.
Comment by Dad Of Cameron — 28 March, 2006 @ 10:58 pm
Hi Squaregirl.
I hope you didn’t take any offense to my mention of his history. I agree with you about the EASe CD’s by the way. If AIT could have medical impact, I think the FDA would be regulating it - and they are not. It’s probably risk-free on the surface to someone like, you, but this kind of stuff can be dangerous to the vulnerable. I really only brought it up so someone new to Estee’s blog, in the future, could make an informed decision.
Thanks for stopping by.
Comment by squaregirl — 29 March, 2006 @ 6:02 pm
No offense taken. That is how we all learn, so I appreciate being given information that I didn’t previously have…I have had enough exposure to people in the past who have tried to sell the new “latest treatment” and I’ve been around long enough see that sometimes the “latest” treatment was one debunked ten years ago (AIT being one). I try to research all “tretments” so that I can help my families see what might be happening. With that beig said, I try to remain open-minded to different diets and alternatives to perscription drugs assuming they are proven not to have risks…I have had succes eliminating my own migraines via yoga and acupuncture.
I do thank you for trying to look out for those who did not have the information or may not know better. And I thank you for the info on trudeau…I looked it up
.
Trackback by Hoyden-About-Town — 30 March, 2006 @ 6:19 pm
Skepticism and Autism…
find strategies to fit into a neurotypical society as much as they need to while enjoying and validating their autistic perceptions as well.
Celebrate the child you have. Our children deserve no less.
UPDATE: Doing the found a fab new blog dance!…
Comment by impatientpatient — 16 April, 2006 @ 1:35 am
Hello!!
Yes It has certainly been a while!! I thought I would check this out again as I am on a long weekend- my last in a while i am sure. I hope to be working another full time job on top of my regular one soon, as financial realities have caught up with me….Duhn duhn duhn…. That infamous sh#t happens thing. So I thought I would catch up and see how things are in some of my fave places.
I am still working on my post that I want to borrow your “doers” line from. It is so intensely personal that I find it hard to write- it is who I am at the moment, and I am pretty angry so I don’t know if I will say what I have to say with the respect it deserves. Every read just makes me rewrite. It is still relevant though.
Keep blogging and I will keep visiting as I can. Never tangle with an insurance company and lose is my helpful tip of the day. That and velcro teenagers to the roof so that you know where they are and when they will be home…..
IP