What Is Chelation Therapy, And Will It Help My Child With Autism?

Oct. 23, 2008 -- Question: What is chelation therapy, and will it help my child with autism?

Answer: Chelation therapy is a detoxification therapy and it's based on the unproven theory that mercury and other heavy metals can cause central nervous system damage and neurodevelopmental disabilities such as autism. Chelators are agents that bind to, remove and extract heavy metals from the body. But there's no evidence at all that chelation therapy is effective and in fact may be dangerous. Several years ago a child died of IV chelation therapy.