What were the specific groups of children assessed to see if they were at increased risk for autism from their first MMR vaccination?
One of the main contributions of this study is that it assessed associations in specific groups of children who may have been at increased risk for autism from environmental exposures, such as vaccines. These groups included: • Children who either lost developmental skills (regression) or failed to make progress (plateau); • Children with developmental delays before one year of age or with a pre- existing condition that would likely contribute to a developmental delay; • Children with or without mental retardation (which was defined as an IQ of less than or equal to 70); and • Children grouped according to characteristics such as gender, race, and birth weight. Top • What do these findings mean for parents? These findings suggest that: • The MMR vaccine did not cause autism in the general population or among specific groups of children who may have been at an increased risk for autism • The current recommended age for the MMR vaccine (12 to 15 months) is not a contributing factor towar
