Wednesday, April 14, 2010

On Yet Another Stupidly Harmful Therapy

"Helminthic therapy" is the treatment of autoimmune disorders via deliberate exposure to parasitic worms. I know this for two reasons: One, I live within easy driving distance of what is apparently the quack capitol of the United States. Two, the parents of the kids I work with often have no common sense whatsoever.


If you've reached the obvious conclusion, you are entirely correct. I now know more than I ever wanted to about this, including the name of a company that will ship whipworm eggs from Thailand.

Ugh.

There really isn't much on the 'net about helminthic therapy and autism as of yet, but what I have found is suitably disturbing. The rationale is discussed here and here. The first part of a three-part video lecture is available here (with parts two and three available here and here, respectively). A very disgusting blog post can be found here.

Any other sources would be greatly appreciated.

4 comments:

  1. This sounds like an urban legend about tapeworms in diet pills... except, that would actually work.

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  2. One more commercial SPAM comment deleted.

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  3. Good lord. Seriously? Let's hope this dies off quickly or I'll be trying to talk the crazy parents I work with out of it soon...

    ...

    I mean, SERIOUSLY?

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