Mercury, lead, and zinc in baby teeth of children with autism versus
controls.

Adams JB, Romdalvik J, Ramanujam VM, Legator MS.Chemical and Materials
Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA.

This study determined the level of mercury, lead, and zinc in baby
teeth of children with autism spectrum disorder (n = 15, age 6.1 +/-
2.2 yr) and typically developing children (n = 11, age = 7 +/- 1.7
yr). Children with autism had significantly (2.1-fold) higher levels
of mercury but similar levels of lead and similar levels of zinc.
Children with autism also had significantly higher usage of oral
antibiotics during their first 12 mo of life, and possibly higher
usage of oral antibiotics during their first 36 mo of life. Baby teeth
are a good measure of cumulative exposure to toxic metals during fetal
development and early infancy, so this study suggests that children
with autism had a higher body burden of mercury during fetal/infant
development. Antibiotic use is known to almost completely inhibit
excretion of mercury in rats due to alteration of gut flora. Thus,
higher use of oral antibiotics in the children with autism may have
reduced their ability to excrete mercury, and hence may partially
explain the higher level in baby teeth. Higher usage of oral
antibiotics in infancy may also partially explain the high incidence
of chronic gastrointestinal problems in individuals with autism.

PMID: 17497416 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]