 | | | | Related Healthscout Videos | |
|
By Vivian Richardson, Ivanhoe Health Correspondent
ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Women who received a treatment containing form of mercury during pregnancy to prevent a deadly condition in their unborn child may not need to worry that they increased the risk of their child being autistic. A new study reveals Rh immune globulin is not linked to an increased prevalence of autism.
Text Continues Below
The new study from researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia adds to a growing body of evidence refuting claims that thimerosal causes autism, study author Judith Miles, M.D., Ph.D., told Ivanhoe. Thimerosal is used as a preservative in vaccines and contains ethylmercury, a less toxic form of mercury. Worries about this preservative caused the FDA to call for the removal of thimerosal from early childhood vaccines, which was accomplished by 2002.
"This is very, very reassuring," said Dr. Miles. "It's one more piece of evidence in a long list of other studies that have indicated that immunizations are not the cause of the increased prevalence of autism."
Dr. Miles and her colleagues wanted to know if women treated with Rh immune globulin, which contains thimerosal, during pregnancy would be more likely to have an autistic child. Women who are Rh negative, meaning they have a negative blood type, are often treated with Rh immune globulin in their third trimester to prevent hemolytic disease, when the mother's immune system attacks fetal blood cells like it would attack a virus or bacteria. The condition can kill the baby and prevent the mother from carrying later pregnancies to term.
"Many, many people lost babies and lost pregnancies because of this, so [Rh immune globulin] was a real breakthrough," said Dr. Miles.
Researchers studied a group of 214 mothers with 230 children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. Dr. Miles reported in children with autism, mothers were no more likely to be Rh negative and treated with Rh immune globulin than those in the general population.
Although thimerosal is no longer used in early childhood vaccines in the United States, Dr. Miles said studies like hers have important implications in poorer countries. Some countries depend on multi-dose vials of vaccine to prevent deadly childhood diseases, explained Dr. Miles. Repeated use of the vials can lead to fungal and bacterial infections unless a preservative, like thimerosal, is used. In the United States, single dose vials of vaccine mean having a preservative to kill fungal growth or bacterial growth in the vaccine is not as important.
Dr. Miles said she and her colleagues hope this new evidence will allay the fears of parents who may be avoiding immunizing their children because of concerns about vaccinations leading to autism.
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, which offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, click on: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
SOURCE: Interview with Judith Miles, M.D., Ph.D.; American Journal of Medical Genetics, 2007, Part A 9999:111
|
.gif)
