A social media influencer is below hearth for selling a harmful and discredited chemical as a so-called “autism remedy,” regardless of alarming studies of significant hurt to youngsters.
Kerri Rivera, who has over 17,000 followers on Instagram, encourages dad and mom to manage chlorine dioxide (CD)—an industrial bleach utilized in textile manufacturing and disinfection—orally and by enema to their autistic youngsters. Rivera falsely claims this “protocol” rids the physique of parasites she believes trigger autism.
Messages from Rivera’s non-public help group present dad and mom reporting disturbing negative effects, together with vomiting, rashes, seizures, and chemical-smelling urine. Regardless of these signs, Rivera routinely reassures followers that these are indicators the bleach is “working” and the physique is “detoxifying.”
Ingesting chlorine dioxide can lead to extreme vomiting, liver failure, respiratory issues, developmental delays and demise.
Tim Nicholls of the Nationwide Autistic Society known as Rivera’s claims “sickening.”
“This data is improper, harmful and dangerous to autistic folks and their households,” Nicholls advised The Impartial.
“No autistic particular person, mother or father or carer ought to be advised to ‘remedy’ their little one by administering a harmful, probably life-threatening chemical,” he continued. “Autism is a lifelong neurodivergence and incapacity, it’s not a illness that may be ‘handled’ or ‘cured.'”
TikTok has eliminated Rivera’s account, and Amazon eliminated her storefront the place she earned fee on merchandise she advisable to manage “protocols.” Her Instagram stays energetic.
Advocacy teams are urging social media platforms and authorities companies to take stronger motion towards the promotion of poisonous remedies and to encourage dad and mom to hunt recommendation from trusted medical professionals.
Rivera has not responded to the rising backlash.
Initially printed on Latin Instances
