Reduced Levels of Mercury in First Baby Haircuts of Autistic Children
| Autor: | Boyd E. Haley, Mark F. Blaxill, Amy S. Holmes |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2003 |
| Předmět: |
Male
Pediatrics medicine.medical_specialty Adolescent chemistry.chemical_element Toxicology 03 medical and health sciences Sex Factors 0302 clinical medicine medicine Humans 030212 general & internal medicine Autistic Disorder Child Chemistry Infant Mercury medicine.disease 030227 psychiatry Mercury (element) Developmental disorder Child Preschool Autism Female Hair Demography |
| Zdroj: | International Journal of Toxicology. 22:277-285 |
| ISSN: | 1092-874X 1091-5818 |
| DOI: | 10.1080/10915810305120 |
| Popis: | Reported rates of autism have increased sharply in the United States and the United Kingdom. One possible factor underlying these increases is increased exposure to mercury through thimerosal-containing vaccines, but vaccine exposures need to be evaluated in the context of cumulative exposures during gestation and early infancy. Differential rates of postnatal mercury elimination may explain why similar gestational and infant exposures produce variable neurological effects. First baby haircut samples were obtained from 94 children diagnosed with autism using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM IV) criteria and 45 age- and gender-matched controls. Information on diet, dental amalgam fillings, vaccine history, Rho D immunoglob-ulin administration, and autism symptom severity was collected through a maternal survey questionnaire and clinical observation. Hair mercury levels in the autistic group were 0.47 ppm versus 3.63 ppm in controls, a significant difference. The mothers in the autistic group had significantly higher levels of mercury exposure through Rho D immunoglobulin injections and amalgam fillings than control mothers. Within the autistic group, hair mercury levels varied significantly across mildly, moderately, and severely autistic children, with mean group levels of 0.79, 0.46, and 0.21 ppm, respectively. Hair mercury levels among controls were significantly correlated with the number of the mothers' amalgam fillings and their fish consumption as well as exposure to mercury through childhood vaccines, correlations that were absent in the autistic group. Hair excretion patterns among autistic infants were significantly reduced relative to control. These data cast doubt on the efficacy of traditional hair analysis as a measure of total mercury exposure in a subset of the population. In light of the biological plausibility of mercury's role in neurodevelopmental disorders, the present study provides further insight into one possible mechanism by which early mercury exposures could increase the risk of autism. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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