LATimes: Mercury in vaccines seems safe for kids

[Tesha]

Source: Los Angeles Times

A study of 1,047 children who received mercury-containing
vaccines as infants has concluded the mercury does not
cause learning difficulties or developmental delays.

The research released Wednesday said mercury exposure was
associated with very small changes on some measures of
attention, speech and motor control. But the changes varied
by gender and were mostly beneficial, leading scientists to
conclude they were the result of chance.

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The report published today in the New England Journal of
Medicine did not examine whether mercury causes autism,
as some scientists and advocacy groups have argued. Mercury
is a component of thimerosal, which until recently was used
as a preservative in virtually all childhood vaccines.

Although several large studies have found no causal link
between thimerosal (pronounced thih-MEHR'-uh-sawl) and autism,
the issue is contentious, and several thousand parents are
seeking legal compensation on behalf of children who developed
autism after receiving vaccinations.

Schuchat reiterated during a conference call that there was
no scientific support for the theory that thimerosal causes
autism. She said the CDC is conducting two large epidemiological
studies exploring the possible link. The latest study should
reassure parents that vaccines are safe and do not cause other
kinds of neuropsychological harm, she said.

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Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/09/27/MNBGSEMBH.DTL