Autism

Does a list of two dozen papers allegedly funded, supported or published by government agencies present new evidence confirming that vaccines cause autism? No, that's not true: Those posts on social media reused old, previously debunked studies, stemming from a retracted article, not from government research. The claim is derived from a post published on Facebook on December 9, 2020,…

Does the pneumococcal vaccine cause autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children? No, that's not true: There is no scientific evidence to support the assertion that the pneumococcal vaccine or any other vaccine causes autism. The shots are recommended by both the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization. The claim appeared in a slide…

Is thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative, found in "almost every single vaccine" and is it "killing you slowly"? No, that's not true: Multiple studies have shown "no evidence of harm caused by the low doses of thimerosal in vaccines," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The two types of mercury people can be exposed to are very…

Did the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suppress the results of a study that purportedly showed an increased risk of neurodevelopmental delays in newborns who were given a Hepatitis B vaccine during the first month of life? No, that's not true: The results of the study have been available for decades. The early findings of the two-phase study…

Does heavy metal detox cure autism? No, that's not true: An expert told Lead Stories there is "no evidence" that substantiates the claim that taking something for a "heavy metal detox" can cure autism. There is no known cause or cure for Autism Spectrum Disorder, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other experts say, as of the publication…

Do worms cause autism? No, that's not true: An expert told Lead Stories that there is "no scientific evidence" that supports the claim, made in a video on TikTok, that worms cause autism. There is no definitively known cause of Autism Spectrum Disorder, as of the publication of this fact check. Research has shown only that there are genetic and…

Does this image show an unidentified boy in the care of police officers after being found "roaming around"? No, that's not true: The boy in the picture actually helped locate someone else -- an older man with Alzheimer's disease. The posts are a part of a common deceptive method of spamming to advertise real estate in local areas. The claim…

Does resonant frequency therapy with the Rife machine cure cancer? No, that's not true: A video making that claim provides very little evidence that Rife machines work. A medical doctor who specializes in radiation oncology and a nursing professor both told Lead Stories that Rife machines do not cure cancer, and there is no evidence that they do. The energy…

Is Tylenol use during pregnancy linked to autism? No, there's no evidence to support that. Autism or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex developmental disability caused by differences in the brain. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), little is known about its specific causes. Diagnosing ASD can be difficult since there is no medical test.…

Are the ingredients put in vaccines toxic to people? No, that's not true: Before a vaccine is licensed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and recommended for use by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) it's tested and evaluated in labs. While there are substances used in the production of the shots that are toxic to humans,…