Rotavirus: Was your child infected?

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	I ask this question because I really started noticing deficits in my son after he was infected and hospitalized with rotavirus at both age 3 and 4. He was very ill both times. Perhaps that's the age when milestone are really noticeable, though my son was delayed in walking. I could have sworn I glimpsed something on Larry King about Rotavirus when Jenny McCarthy was on his show the other day. I was just browsing channels and to be honest, she annoys me, so I couldn't watch it. After tragically learning about vCJD (my niece died from Mad Cow Disease (MCD)) and the theroy of the vagus nerve being a conduit for neuroinvasion, I can't help hypothesing about Rotavirus and Autism. In vCJD (MCD), a theory is that infected protein from contaminated beef is absorbed from the stomach/intestine wall via the vagus nerve to the brain. How else does it get there? I believe blood has been excluded. With both infections, my son behaviour was very irrational, he pulled out IV's, was extremely agitated and was even given Ativan once to calm him (the ER physician said it was the first time she ever had to adminsiter to a toddler). He really was never the same after. My daughter also had rotavirus at a very young age. She became severly lactose intolerant after. You know, some days you just sit and think and ask yourself how and why... I'm having one of those days. Wow ... have not heard any of that.  Is anyone researching it? I don't know specifics, but I know there are doctors who believe that autism can be connected to viruses in some kids.  My DS had rota too - he actually had two significant stomach/intestinal viruses as a baby, and he had regressions after both.  The first was at 12 months, and we don't know if it was rota or not, but he wasn't hospitalized for that one.  He did, however, stop eating solid food altogether for several weeks, and I can see now that his speech development slowed at that time.  Rotavirus hit us at 21 months, and it was a doozy.  He was in the hospital for 4 days, had another huge regression with food - dropped most of what he'd eat from his diet permanently - and his speech development almost stopped.  He'd just gotten a big round of vaccinations about a week before he got sick.  Looking back, I believe this was what ultimately tipped him into autism. I talked to our DAN about this, and he says that he's heard similar stories in the past.  It could be linked to my autoimmune disorders (weakened DS's immune system), or it could be a completely independent phenomena.  Either way, I have little doubt that rotavirus played a big part in DS's developmental delays. Not rotavirus but she did have RSV at 5 months Pertussis (after being vaccinated) at 12 months I would not be even a little surprised to learn one day that virus are the cause (or contribute to) autism. I believe my DS (the one with PDD-NOS) had Rotavirus at 3 months.  It was never formally diagnosed by our ped, but he was very sick for 2 weeks.  Now that I think of it, his "colic" became much worse after that, and he started his rhythmic banging about a month later.  Ohhh wow!!! Jacob had it in 2005 so he was about 3yrs old, rotavirus soo severe he was airlifted to children's hospital where he spent a week getting better, then a week later he started showing signs of it so he then was put on amatandine. Ky ended up getting it as well but not quite as bad, she did stay overnight for observation because of her heart issues and she was put on the same medicine. Ky also had a really bad reaction to the 5th DTAP shot her thigh, the spot swelled up soo bad and she had a fever for 4 days. We ended up at the ER the entire time. Both my kids had rotavirus at age 1 year.Same for my son.  He had diarrhea for 6 weeks when he was 6 months, around the time he stopped responding to us, and he is lactose intolerant to this day (age 4.5).I was gonna start a thread sorta about this just a FYI one...but I will just add here- I know there are both pro-anti-and whatever vaccine parent's on here- but they now have a new oral vaccine for this virus.  My 5 month old got it, however my almost 4 and 2 year old did not (our doctors were holding off to make sure there were some more studies done with it first before giving it out since the old vaccine was approved then taken off the market due to bowel obstruction side effects).  I didn't really think anything of it, but my ASD son just got home from the hospital yesterday after being in since this weekend with the virus- it was horrible- because of his sensory issues and being in the hospital he stopped eating completely Friday- he only started again once we got him home- thankfully we have a wonderful doc who trusted us to take him home to get him eating again and not the force the issue of he had to before leaving the hospital (that is normal hospital policy here). My 2 year old also got it, and I have NEVER seen that much vomit come from one small person it was like the Exorcist. MY ASD son lost 4 pounds and my 2 year old lost about the same (that is like 1/8th their total weight!). Thankfully our baby did not get it (he was just hospitalized for RSV last month its not been a good few months at our house.)  There hasn't really been a change or regression or anything in my son or a difference in my NT 2 yr old- besides the fact they look just rundown and terrible (I'm sure much like their mama ).   I just wanted to say if you are comfortable with your child getting the vaccine, know that there is one out there for it and it prevents up to 75% of the cases of it, and up to 98% of the severe cases- normally they just give it to babies which is how my older guys slipped through not getting it.  In my heart, I feel that my son's Autism is related to this virus, if not the cause, definitely a contributing factor. I was hoping that someone watched the Larry King special and could elaborate. I should have just watched the darn thing myself. Although I don't doubt Jenny McCarthy's success with her son, I have to say, that sometimes she makes me feel inadequate as a parent b/c her son was cured and mine is not. It is very difficult to change the diet of a extreme sensory child. I'm just glad to get food into his mouth and keeping it there. I know rotavirus has been around forever but believe it has gotten worse like Autism. Like all viruses, they change and mutate (like prions that cause mad cow disease). Perhaps a particular strain is more virulent than another. I'm glad that there is now a oral vaccine for this. It's a really tough illness especially on little one's. Let's see if the number of ASD cases decline. A funny thing happened the other day. My son had some mysterious infection and it was not obvious what was wrong. No runny nose, sore throat, cough, stomach issues. His fever hit 105. I thought the thermometer (ear) had broke so I took my daugther's temp a few times to make sure, then took my son's again, and it was 104. He was put on antibiotics as a precaution and this might be a coincidence but since he finished the course, his language has improved some and so has his general academics. Makes me go hmmmm! Think I'll do a bit of research myself.   yes!! and that was around 1 yrs of age I feel even more fortunate to have missed this one. My kids had tons of upper resp. infections, but RARELY the gastro ones. But then, maybe they had it before I got them ... Wow, I can't belive this. Nathan was fine up until 1 year old, saying mom and dad and just was a normal child. After he got his 1 year old shots, and I mean 2 days later he got rotovirus. Nathan was in the hospital for 10 days and was the sickest I have ever seen a child. Nathan came home a different child.  Its like the old Nathan just disappeared. I have always thought that the rotovirus hurt my boy in so many ways, but I never heard anyone claim there may be a connection. This definately needs to be researched.
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