Geiers Featured in Chicago Tribune

The Chicago Tribune, a high-profile newspaper with a generally less-than-stellar reputation, nevertheless gets it right with its recent coverage of the father-and-son duo Mark and David Geier and their horrifying Lupron treatment for autism.

'Miracle drug' called junk science by Trine Tsouderos

Physician team's crusade shows cracks by Steve Mills and Tom Jones

In a noteworthy side bar (A flawed rationale for treatment), data from one published study by the Geiers (which they use repeatedly to support Lupron treatment in autistic children) are found to be specious by 3 nationally recognized pediatric endrocrinologists: Paul Kaplowitz, Alan Rogol, and Peter Lee.* Specifically Dr. Rogol labels the Geiers' FSH levels "irrelevant," and states that any conclusions based on the testosterone reference range of 0-10 ng/dL are "worse than meaningless." He also concludes that some of the Geiers' pediatric subjects were too old to be diagnosed with precocious puberty.

Mark and David Geier respond that these pediatric endocrinologists are "not qualified to discuss hormone disorders in autistic children." This forehead-slapping rebuttal is made despite the fact that 1) Mark Geier has no specialized training in pediatric endocrinology and 2) David Geier possesses no more than a BA degree.

* The Geiers' 2006 Hormone Research article was scrutinized at this blog in October of 2008.