Library:Autism's False Prophets
| Autism's False Prophets: Bad Science, Risky Medicine, and the Search for a Cure | |
|---|---|
| Author | Paul A. Offit |
| First published | 2008 |
| ISBN | — |
| Role | Analysis |
| Domains | Health & Medicine Science & Space |
| Tactics | Pseudoscience / Junk Science Fraud or Scam |
Autism's False Prophets: Bad Science, Risky Medicine, and the Search for a Cure is a 2008 book by Paul A. Offit.
Summary
Paul Offit, a pediatrician and infectious disease specialist at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and co-inventor of a rotavirus vaccine, examines the people who promoted false explanations and cures for autism.
He covers the vaccine-autism claims as well as unproven and dangerous treatments marketed to desperate parents.
Key points
- False causes. Offit reviews the science on MMR, thimerosal and autism, which found no link.
- Risky cures. He documents treatments such as chelation therapy, which has been linked to at least one child's death, and other unproven remedies.
- Courts and media. He describes how litigation and media attention gave false claims credibility.
Relevance to Bullshitopedia
The book connects a health scare to the market of unproven cures that grew around it, a common pattern in medical misinformation.