Autistic Boy, 5, Dies After Treatment

An autistic boy died after receiving an unproven treatment that some people believe may cure the neurological and developmental disorder.

Officials said they did not know what killed Abubakar Tariq Nadama, 5, who died Tuesday after suffering a heart attack following his third treatment of chelation therapy at a suburban medical clinic.

The staff at his doctor’s office performed CPR on the child, but he was later pronounced dead at a hospital. More tests would be needed to determine the cause of death, Deputy Coroner Larry Barr said.

Chelation is often used in patients with sickle cell anemia, lead poisoning or other maladies. Its use dates back to the 1940s.

The boy was undergoing the therapy at the Advanced Integrative Medicine Center in Portersville, Pa., north of Pittsburgh. Neither the boy’s doctor, Roy E. Kerry, nor a representative from the center returned a call for comment Thursday.

State police also were investigating.

Some people believe autism can be linked to a mercury-containing preservative once commonly used in childhood vaccines. Chelation therapy has therefore been advocated as a remedy because it causes heavy metals to leave the body through urine.

During the treatment, chemicals are administered under the skin or orally. The chemicals bind to heavy metals in the body, and then are excreted.

One of the most common uses for chelation is lead poisoning, in which a synthetic chemical called EDTA is given to patients. It’s unclear how many people undergo the treatment.