Mercury exposure in children with autistic spectrum disorder: case-control study

J Child Neurol. 2004 Jun;19(6):431-4. doi: 10.1177/088307380401900606.

Abstract

Although mercury has been proven to be a neurotoxicant, there is a lack of data to evaluate the causal relationship between mercury and autism. We aim to see if there is increased mercury exposure in children with autistic spectrum disorder. We performed a cross-sectional cohort study over a 5-month period in 2000 to compare the hair and blood mercury levels of children with autistic spectrum disorder (n = 82; mean age 7.2 years) and a control group of normal children (n = 55; mean age 7.8 years). There was no difference in the mean mercury levels. The mean blood mercury levels of the autistic and control groups were 19.53 and 17.68 nmol/L, respectively (P = .15), and the mean hair mercury levels of the autistic and control groups were 2.26 and 2.07 ppm, respectively (P = .79). Thus, the results from our cohort study with similar environmental mercury exposure indicate that there is no causal relationship between mercury as an environmental neurotoxin and autism.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Autistic Disorder / etiology*
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Cohort Studies
  • Environmental Exposure*
  • Environmental Pollutants / adverse effects*
  • Environmental Pollutants / blood*
  • Female
  • Hair / chemistry
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mercury / adverse effects*
  • Mercury / blood*

Substances

  • Environmental Pollutants
  • Mercury