Children with autism were twice as likely as non-autistic controls to be born from mothers who had Rh incompatibilities with the developing fetus during pregnancy. - GreenMedInfo Summary
A prospective study of thimerosal-containing Rho(D)-immune globulin administration as a risk factor for autistic disorders.
J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2007 May ;20(5):385-90. PMID: 17674242
David A Geier
BACKGROUND: This study evaluated the relationship between prenatal mercury exposure from thimerosal (49.55% mercury by weight)-containing Rho(D)-immune globulins (TCRs) and autism spectrum disorders (ASDs).
METHODS: The Institutional Review Board of the Institute for Chronic Illnesses approved the present study. A total of 53 consecutive non-Jewish Caucasian patients with ASDs (Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, fourth ed. - DSM IV) born between 1987 and 2001 who presented to the Genetic Centers of America for outpatient genetic/developmental evaluations were prospectively collected from June 1, 2005 through March 31, 2006. Imaging and laboratory testing were conducted on each patient to rule out other causal factors for their ASDs. As race-matched controls, the frequency of Rh negativity was determined from 926 non-Jewish Caucasian pregnant women who had presented for outpatient prenatal genetics care to the Genetic Centers of America between 1980 and 1989.
RESULTS: Children with ASDs (28.30%) were significantly more likely (odds ratio 2.35, 95% confidence interval 1.17-4.52, p<0.01) to have Rh-negative mothers than controls (14.36%). Each ASD patient's mother was determined to have been administered a TCR during her pregnancy.
CONCLUSION: The results provide insights into the potential role prenatal mercury exposure may play in some children with ASDs.
