Before, we were force-feeding him. Now he's eating everything he can get his hands on. Spurred by cases like Tom, thousands of parents are now seeking out secretin, a relatively unknown drug, and touting it as a miracle cure for autism. Secretin is a naturally occurring hormone that helps control digestion. The drug version is made from pig intestines and was previously used only in small quantities to diagnose gastrointestinal problems in people.
Many autistic children suffer from stomach problems.
Some advocates believe it is these problems that somehow damage the children's brains, causing the illness. How secretin might help is a mystery. Exchanging information on the Internet, thousands of parents have shopped for doctors who would prescribe it. In the process, they have circumvented doctors and directed the course of their children's treatment themselves. And they are raising the worry that something could go catastrophically wrong.