Autism linked to mercury consumption

According to a study by researchers from Melbourne’s Swinburne University, published in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, a family history of ‘pink disease’ is a strong risk factor for developing autism.

Never heard of pink disease? Its official name is infantile acrodynia, and it was a form of mercury poisoning that was quite widespread in the first half of the 20th century, courtesy of the widespread use of teething powders that contained mercury.

In those days, it’s estimated that pink disease occurred in approximately one in every 500 children who were exposed to the powders, resulting in symptoms of speech loss, apathy, hypersensitivity to pain and/or light, and in some cases, death.

When mercury was identified as the cause, it was eliminated from teething powders and similar products, effectively putting an end to pink disease.

However, the Swinburne study suggests that this genetic sensitivity has far-reaching ramifications, with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) being six times — an astonishing 500 percent — more likely to occur among the grandchildren of pink disease survivors.

This study adds more weight to the existing argument that ASD is the result of a combination of genetic and environmental factors and, although there is little one can do about an inherited sensitivity to mercury, there is a great deal that can be done to minimise a child’s exposure to it, including opting for amalgam-free fillings and preservative-free vaccines (mercury may otherwise be included), and being careful about which fish a child eats, and how often.

The Australian Marine Conservation society offers a downloadable sustainable seafood guide covering over 100 seafood species sold in fishmongers and restaurants, including canned, imported and regional species, to help you decide which fish are healthiest for you, your family, and our oceans.