Neurodevelopmental Disorders After Thimerosal-Containing Vac

Dad,

Is there any way of knowing whether your child’s vacinations contained Thimerosal? My son developed early speech normally but was behind by two and really behind by age 3. I never connected DPT vacinations because he is not autistic. Your post made me wonder if they played a role.

Beth

DPT, DTaP, HiB, Hep B, IPV and Orvnar all contained thimerosal through 2001, and existing stockpiles with thimerosal in it were alowed to be used up (no recall issued). Some areas of the country will not finally deplete the tainted stocks until sometime in 2004.

There are of course other causes of speech delays, behavioral problems and autism than thimerosal, so proof is and will be very difficult. But both the pharmaceutical industry and the Federal regulators knew it was problematic though both groups emphatically denied there was a problem. hy else do you think they asked the vaccine industry to remove thimerosal from th market quietly, and why else do you think Sen Frist had the thimerosal absolution added to the Homeland Security Bill AFTER it had already cleared the House, knowing the Senate would pass it blind and the President would sign it?

Thimerosal was a prime factor in boy’s autism however. He did not begin talking with expressive language until after we had treated him for mercury toxicity that his dr. said had not occured.

My son is 10. I have been told that the undiagnosed ear infections (low grade) played havoc on his development. Undoubtedly, that is the case. However, his learning disabilities were so severe and widespread that I have always thought that it was a bit strange that ear infections, even for a child with genetic auditory weaknesses (sister has same genetic pattern but is straight A student).

I do think, and the therapist he has worked with for two years agrees, that he would have been diagnosed as PDD, had he seen the “right” kind of person as a preschooler.

He is currently doing quite well, after years of therapy.

There are no learning disabilities on either side of our family—that is what has always seemed rather strange to me. So I can’t wonder if you don’t have the missing piece. I remember him changing at about 17 months—becoming much more difficult. By two, his language was behind but not by so much that his pediatrician thought much of it. Not too much later though, my pediatrician sister-in-law started bugging me about getting him evaluated. I didn’t until he was three—being of the not hyper school. I heard later via my mother in law that she thought he was autistic. He adored me but noone else—and did not have normal play skills. His language was behind. I attributed it then to shyness—but when I see old videos, he acted like a younger child.

Beth