title: Thimerosal exposure and disturbance of emotions specific to childhood and adolescence: A case-control study in the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) database.
abstract: This study evaluated Thimerosal-containing childhood vaccines and the risk of a diagnosis called disturbance of emotions specific to childhood and adolescence (ED). Thimerosal is an organic-mercury (Hg)-containing compound used in some vaccines.
  
  
  
  A hypothesis-testing prospective, longitudinal case-control study evaluated Hg exposure from Thimerosal in hepatitis B vaccines administered at specific times within the first 6 months of life and its association with medically diagnosed ED (313.xx) (n = 517) in children born between 1991-2000 in comparison to controls (n = 27 491) in the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) database.
  
  
  
  Cases diagnosed with ED were significantly more likely than controls to have received increased Hg exposure within the first month of life (odds ratio (OR) = 1.3384), the first 2 months of life (OR = 1.3367) and the first 6 months of life (OR = 2.37). When the data were separated by gender, similar significant adverse effects were observed for males, but not females. On a per microgram Hg basis, cases diagnosed with ED were significantly more likely than controls to have received increased exposure within the first 6 months of life (OR = 1.025 per microgram Hg).
  
  
  
  The results show a significant relationship between Hg exposure from Thimerosal-containing childhood vaccines and the subsequent risk of an ED diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: a The Institute of Chronic Illnesses, Inc, Silver Spring , MD , USA.|b CoMeD, Inc, Silver Spring , MD , USA.
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Geier
authors.affiliation: a The Institute of Chronic Illnesses, Inc, Silver Spring , MD , USA.|c Council for Nutritional and Environmental Medicine , Mo i Rana , Norway.
authors.forename: Janet K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Kern
authors.affiliation: d International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology , Champions Gate , FL , USA.
authors.forename: Kristin G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Homme
authors.affiliation: a The Institute of Chronic Illnesses, Inc, Silver Spring , MD , USA.|b CoMeD, Inc, Silver Spring , MD , USA.
authors.forename: Mark R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Geier
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000139:chemically induced*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011310:Preservatives, Pharmaceutical / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D013849:Thimerosal / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014612:Vaccines / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D011310:Preservatives, Pharmaceutical; D014612:Vaccines; D013849:Thimerosal
keywords: Emotional disturbances; anxiety; ethylmercury; mercury; merthiolate; shyness; social impairment; thiomersal