The Journal of Pediatrics
Volume 155, Issue 4 , Pages 495-499.e2 , October 2009

Mercury Levels in Premature and Low Birth Weight Newborn Infants after Receipt of Thimerosal-Containing Vaccines

  • Michael E. Pichichero, MD

      Affiliations

    • University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint requests: Dr Michael E. Pichichero, Rochester General Hospital, Research Institute, 1425 Portland Avenue, Rochester, NY 14621.
    • ,
  • Angela Gentile, MD

      Affiliations

    • R. Gutierrez Children's Hospital, Buenos Aires, Argentina
    • ,
  • Norberto Giglio, MD

      Affiliations

    • R. Gutierrez Children's Hospital, Buenos Aires, Argentina
    • ,
  • Margarita Martin Alonso, MD

      Affiliations

    • Hospital Durand, Buenos Aires, Argentina
    • ,
  • Maria Veronica Fernandez Mentaberri, MD

      Affiliations

    • Hospital Durand, Buenos Aires, Argentina
    • ,
  • Grazyna Zareba, PhD

      Affiliations

    • University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
    • ,
  • Thomas Clarkson, PhD

      Affiliations

    • University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
    • ,
  • Carlos Gotelli, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Center of Toxicology Research, Buenos Aires, Argentina
    • ,
  • Mariano Gotelli, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Center of Toxicology Research, Buenos Aires, Argentina
    • ,
  • Lihan Yan, PhD

      Affiliations

    • EMMES Corp, Rockville, MD
    • ,
  • John Treanor, MD

      Affiliations

    • University of Rochester, Rochester, NY

Received 13 August 2008 ,Revised 9 February 2009 ,Accepted 8 April 2009.

References 

  1. American Academy of Pediatrics. Thimerosal in vaccines: an interim report to clinicians. Pediatrics. 1999;104:570–574
  2. Ball LK, Ball R, Pratt RD. An assessment of thimerosal use in childhood vaccines. Pediatrics. 2001;107:1147–1154
  3. US Environmental Protection Agency. Mercury study report to congress: US Environmental Protection Agency. 1997;EPA-452/R-97–007
  4. Pichichero ME, Cernichiari E, Lopreiato J, Treanor J. Mercury concentrations and metabolism in infants receiving vaccines containing thimerosal: a descriptive study. Lancet. 2002;360:1737–1741
  5. Pichichero ME, Gentile A, Giglio N, Clarkson T, Zareba G. Mercury levels in newborns and infants after receipt of thimerosal-containing vaccines. Pediatrics. 2008;121:208–214
  6. Peters R. The ecological implications of body size. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 1983;
  7. West GB, Brown JH, Enquist BJ. A general model for the origin of allometric scaling laws in biology. Science. 1997;276:122–126
  8. West GB, Brown JH, Enquist BJ. The fourth dimension of life: fractal geometry and allometric scaling of organisms. Science. 1999;284:1677–1679
  9. Anderson BJ, van Lingen RA, Hansen TG, Lin YC, Holford NHG. Acetaminophen developmental pharmacokinetics in premature neonates and infants: a pooled population analysis. Anesthesiology. 2002;96:1336–1345
  10. Burbacher TM, Shen DD, Liberato N, Grant KS, Cernichiari E, Clarkson T. Comparison of blood and brain mercury levels in infant monkeys exposed to methylmercury or vaccines containing thimerosal. Environ Health Perspect. 2005;113:1015–1021
  11. Bakir F, Damluji SF, Amin-Zaki L, et al. Methylmercury poisoning in Iraq. Science. 1973;181:230–241
  12. Cox C, Clarkson TW, Marsh DO, Amin-Zaki L, Tikriti S, Myers CG. Dose response analysis of infants prenatally exposed to methyl mercury: an application of a single compartment model to single-strand hair analysis. Environ Res. 1989;49:318–332
  13. Stajich G, Lopez F, Harry S, Sexon W. Iatrogenic exposure to mercury after hepatitis B vaccination in preterm infants. J Pediatr. 2000;136:679–681
  14. Parker S, Schwartz B, Todd J, Pickering LK. Thimerosal-containing vaccines and autistic spectrum disorder: a critical review of published original data. Pediatrics. 2004;114:793–804
  15. McCormick M, Bayer R, Berg A. Report of the Institute of Medicine: Immunization safety review: Vaccines and autism. National Academy Press; 2004;
  16. Fombonne E, Zakarian R, Bennett A, Meng L, McLean-Heywood D. Pervasive developmental disorders in Montreal, Quebec, Canada: prevalence and links with immunizations. Pediatrics. 2006;118:139–150

 Supported by NIH NIAID contract AI 25460. The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

PII: S0022-3476(09)00370-9

doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2009.04.011

The Journal of Pediatrics
Volume 155, Issue 4 , Pages 495-499.e2 , October 2009

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