title: A dose-response relationship between organic mercury exposure from thimerosal-containing vaccines and neurodevelopmental disorders.
abstract: A hypothesis testing case-control study evaluated concerns about the toxic effects of organic-mercury (Hg) exposure from thimerosal-containing (49.55% Hg by weight) vaccines on the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDs). Automated medical records were examined to identify cases and controls enrolled from their date-of-birth (1991-2000) in the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) project. ND cases were diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorder (PDD), specific developmental delay, tic disorder or hyperkinetic syndrome of childhood. In addition, putative non-thimerosal-related outcomes of febrile seizure, failure to thrive and cerebral degenerations were examined. The cumulative total dose of Hg exposure from thimerosal-containing hepatitis B vaccine (T-HBV) administered within the first six months of life was calculated. On a per microgram of organic-Hg basis, PDD (odds ratio (OR) = 1.054), specific developmental delay (OR = 1.035), tic disorder (OR = 1.034) and hyperkinetic syndrome of childhood (OR = 1.05) cases were significantly more likely than controls to receive increased organic-Hg exposure. By contrast, none of the non-thimerosal related outcomes were significantly more likely than the controls to have received increased organic-Hg exposure. Routine childhood vaccination may be an important public health tool to reduce infectious disease-associated morbidity/mortality, but the present study significantly associates organic-Hg exposure from T-HBV with an increased risk of an ND diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chronic Illnesses, Inc., 14 Redgate Ct., Silver Spring, MD 20905, USA. davidallengeier@comcast.net.
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Geier
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Simpson University, 2211 College View Dr., Redding, CA 96003, USA. bhooker@simpsonu.edu.
authors.forename: Brian S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Hooker
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chronic Illnesses, Inc., 14 Redgate Ct., Silver Spring, MD 20905, USA. jkern@dfwair.net.
authors.forename: Janet K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Kern
authors.affiliation: CoMeD, Inc., 14 Redgate Ct., Silver Spring, MD 20905, USA. paulgkingphd@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Paul G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: King
authors.affiliation: CoMeD, Inc., 14 Redgate Ct., Silver Spring, MD 20905, USA. syklone5@verizon.net.
authors.forename: Lisa K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Sykes
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chronic Illnesses, Inc., 14 Redgate Ct., Silver Spring, MD 20905, USA. mgeier@comcast.net.
authors.forename: Mark R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Geier
mesh_terms: D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002659:Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011310:Preservatives, Pharmaceutical / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013849:Thimerosal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013981:Tic Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D011310:Preservatives, Pharmaceutical; D013849:Thimerosal