接種疫苗不會導致自閉癥

　　新的研究發現，暴露于最高水平硫柳汞（充滿水銀的防腐劑，其常見于許多疫苗中）的嬰兒不比僅接觸很少硫柳汞的嬰兒更可能罹患自閉癥。

　　該研究為那些擔心孩子接種疫苗增加自閉癥風險的父母提供了更大的安全感，研究人員說。

　　“產前和生命早期接觸疫苗或免疫球蛋白制品中的硫柳汞不會增加孩子罹患自閉癥的風險，”高級研究作者、美國疾病控制與預防中心免疫安全辦公室主任Frank DeStefano博士總結道。

　　這項研究9月13日在線發表，早于10月份印刷版《Pediatrics》。

　　據文章的背景資料，硫柳汞自20世紀30年代起被用作疫苗防腐劑。

　　在這項新研究中，研究人員檢查了醫療記錄且對256名自閉癥譜系障礙兒童及與其出生年份相匹配的752名未患自閉癥兒童進行了面談。這些兒童均是加利福尼亞州和馬薩諸塞州的的3個保健護理管理機構的成員。

　　研究人員還收集了很多有關產品和兒童所接種的許多疫苗的信息，以確定兒童可能接觸到多少硫柳汞。

　　對于最高的10%硫柳汞暴露組兒童，無論是產前或嬰兒期與20個月之間，罹患自閉癥、自閉癥譜系障礙或者退行性自閉癥譜系障礙的可能性不比最少的10%硫柳汞暴露組兒童的小。

　　“這項研究提示，早期經接種疫苗接觸硫柳汞不會引致自閉癥，”一家領先的國家宣傳機構——自閉癥如是說的首席科學官Geraldine Dawson說。Dawson沒有參與這項研究。（生物谷Bioon.com）生物谷推薦原文出處：

　　Pediatrics doi:10.1542/peds.2010-0309Prenatal and Infant Exposure to Thimerosal From Vaccines and Immunoglobulins and Risk of AutismCristofer S. Price, ScM,a William W. Thompson,PhD,b Barbara Goodson, PhD,a Eric S. Weintraub, MPH,cLisa A. Croen, PhD,d Virginia L. Hinrichsen, MS, MPH,eMichael Marcy, MD,f Anne Robertson, PhD,a Eileen Eriksen, MPH,f Edwin Lewis, MPH,d Pilar Bernal, MD,gDavid Shay, MD, MPH,h Robert L. Davis, MD, MPH,i and Frank DeStefano, MD, MPHcOBJECTIVE: Exposure to thimerosal, a mercury-containing preservativethat is used in vaccines and immunoglobulin preparations, hasbeen hypothesized to be associated with increased risk of autism spectrumdisorder (ASD). This study was designed to examine relationshipsbetween prenatal and infant ethylmercury exposure from thimerosalcontainingvaccines and/or immunoglobulin preparations and ASD and2 ASD subcategories: autistic disorder (AD) and ASD with regression.

　　METHODS: A case-control study was conducted in 3 managed careorganizations (MCOs) of 256 children with ASD and 752 controlsmatched by birth year, gender, and MCO. ASD diagnoses were validatedthrough standardized in-person evaluations. Exposure to thimerosal invaccines and immunoglobulin preparations was determined fromelectronic immunization registries, medical charts, and parent interviews.

　　Information on potential confounding factors was obtained fromthe interviews and medical charts. We used conditional logistic regressionto assess associations between ASD, AD, and ASD with regressionand exposure to ethylmercury during prenatal, birth-to-1 month, birthto-7-month, and birth-to-20-month periods.

　　RESULTS: There were no findings of increased risk for any of the 3 ASDoutcomes. The adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for ASDassociated with a 2-SD increase in ethylmercury exposure were 1.12(0.83–1.51) for prenatal exposure, 0.88 (0.62–1.26) for exposure frombirth to 1 month, 0.60 (0.36–0.99) for exposure from birth to 7 months,and 0.60 (0.32– 0.97) for exposure from birth to 20 months.

　　CONCLUSIONS: In our study of MCO members, prenatal and early-lifeexposure to ethylmercury from thimerosal-containing vaccines andimmunoglobulin preparations was not related to increased risk ofASDs