Our pediatrician weighs in on this controversial new study.

The measles-mumps-rubella vaccine causes neither autism nor gastrointestinal disorders, a study reported Tuesday--disputing a theory that has persisted for a decade.

Here's what our pediatrician, Dr. Cara Natterson, had to say: "This study confirms what a majority of pediatricians have been saying for some time now: There is no causal association between the MMR vaccine and autism. In order for a theory to be proven, the scientific standard is to repeat a study at least once--and often more than once--in order to make sure the results are consistent. This study replicated the one done by Andrew Wakefield in Britain 10 years ago. The original study is credited with sparking the current debate over whether the MMR vaccine causes autism.

"Critics point out that this study is small (only 38 children, 25 of whom had autism)--and this is a fair criticism. But the point of the investigation was to replicate the study that was done originally. Wakefield's study was even smaller, involving only 12 children with autism.

"It is critical that we come to understand why autism occurs and how it can be prevented. No one disagrees. But when it comes to pointing the finger at the MMR vaccine, hopefully this theory can now be put to rest. Measles and mumps are potentially life-threatening illnesses which are preventable with immunization. There is no data that this immunization causes autism. Perhaps now we can consolidate our efforts and turn the focus of autism research away from the MMR and towards a better understanding of this illness."

Dr. Cara Natterson, author of Your Toddler: Head To Toe is a pediatrician and mother of 2. To buy a copy of her book, click here She is currently working on the forthcoming book entitled Dangerous or Safe?