Peer Reviewed Study Claiming to Confirm Mercury-Autism Connection Published

David A. Geir and Dr. Mark R. Geir have published a new study, “A Prospective Study of Mercury Toxicity Biomarkers in Autistic Spectrum Disorders” in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part A (volume 70, issue 20, pgs 1723-1730). The Press Release issued by Coalition for Mercury-free Drugs (CoMeD) claims that the study "confirms that many children with autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs) suffer from mercury poisoning."

The Press Release also goes on to claim that:

This study utilized urinary porphyrin profile analysis (UPPA) to assess body-burden and physiological effects of mercury in children diagnosed with ASDs.

Using UPPA, Geier and Geier (2007) examined 71 children diagnosed with ASDs, 9 neurotypical siblings, and 5 general population controls. The researchers studied urinary porphyrin patterns using results reported both by the US Laboratory Corporation of America (LabCorp) and the French Laboratoire Philippe Auguste.

Their findings demonstrated that:

• Only the non-chelated patients diagnosed with ASDs had porphyrin patterns indicative of clinical mercury toxicity.

• Treating ASD diagnosed patients with chelating agents resulted in lower mercury-specific urinary porphyrins.

• The UPPA patterns reported were consistent between the two labs used.

The results of the present study confirm and extend previous observations by Nataf et al. (2006) and Geier and Geier (2006) on the use of UPPA profiling to establish the causal role for mercury in ASDs. Additionally, the current findings are consistent with those observed by many other physicians who treat patients diagnosed with both ASDs and mercury toxicity.

Given the ferocity of the debate over a possible mercury autism connection this latest study will give rise to still more heated debate. Hopefully professionals on all sides of this issue will look as this study calmly and objectively and provide the critical analysis that any such study should receive.