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Metabolic Brain Disease
Published in: Metabolic Brain Disease 3/2018

01-06-2018 | Original Article

Mercury-associated diagnoses among children diagnosed with pervasive development disorders

Authors: David A. Geier, Janet K. Kern, Lisa K. Sykes, Mark R. Geier

Published in: Metabolic Brain Disease | Issue 3/2018

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Abstract

Nelson and Bauman (Pediatrics 111:674–679, 2003) previously hypothesized that pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) was not associated with mercury (Hg) exposure because the medical conditions associated with Hg exposure were not associated with PDD. A hypothesis-testing longitudinal case-control study evaluated the frequency of medically diagnosed conditions previously associated with Hg poisoning, including: epilepsy, dysarthria, failure to thrive, cerebral palsy, or contact dermatitis and other eczema among children preceding their eventual PDD diagnosis (cases) compared to controls. A retrospective examination of medical records within the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) was undertaken. Cases diagnosed with PDD (n = 534) were born from 1991 to 2000 and continuously enrolled until their PDD diagnosis. Controls (n = 26,367) were born from 1991 to 1993 and continuously enrolled from birth for 7.22 years. Within the first 5 years of life, cases compared to controls were significantly (p < 0.0001) more likely to be assigned a diagnosis of contact dermatitis and other eczema (odds ratio (OR) = 2.033), dysarthria (OR = 23.992), epilepsy (OR = 5.351), failure to thrive (OR = 25.3), and cerebral palsy (OR = 4.464). Similar results were observed when the data were separated by gender. Overall, the results of the present study and recently published studies provide direct evidence supporting a link in twelve of twelve categories (100%) of Hg poisoning associated symptoms as defined by Nelson and Bauman (Pediatrics 111:674–679, 2003) and symptoms observed in those with a PDD diagnosis. The results of this study support the biological plausibility of Hg poisoning to induce PDD diagnoses and rejection of the Nelson and Bauman (Pediatrics 111:674–679, 2003) hypothesis because those with a PDD diagnosis have an increased frequency of conditions previously associated with Hg poisoning.
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Metadata
Title
Mercury-associated diagnoses among children diagnosed with pervasive development disorders
Authors
David A. Geier
Janet K. Kern
Lisa K. Sykes
Mark R. Geier
Publication date
01-06-2018
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Metabolic Brain Disease / Issue 3/2018
Print ISSN: 0885-7490
Electronic ISSN: 1573-7365
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11011-018-0211-9

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