ArticleEpidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.)2013
Autism spectrum disorder phenotypes and prenatal exposure to methylmercury.
Article in Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.), 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 22 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
22 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 47 citations in OpenAlex.
- Maternal Dietary Factors and the Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Systematic Review of Existing Evidence.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research · 2020Pooled it
- Environmental toxicants and autism spectrum disorders: a systematic review.Translational psychiatry · 2014Pooled it
- Review
- Maternal Prenatal Supplements Intake and Dietary Sources and Their Relation to Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Population of Bangladesh.Public health challenges · 2026Article
- Statement on the findings presented in the Toxicological Profile for Mercury issued by the US ATSDR.EFSA journal. European Food Safety Authority · 2026Article
- Mercury-induced excitotoxicity in autism spectrum disorder: disruption of glutamatergic homeostasis and the therapeutic role of the selenium-glutathione axis.Biometals : an international journal on the role of metal ions in biology, biochemistry, and medicine · 2026Review
- Association of maternal fish consumption and ω-3 supplement use during pregnancy with child autism-related outcomes: results from a cohort consortium analysis.The American journal of clinical nutrition · 2024Article
- Exposure profiles in pregnant women from a birth cohort in a highly contaminated area of southern Italy.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- Article
- Knowledge about Autism among Graduate Students in Togo.Journal of autism and developmental disorders · 2022Article
- Environmental influence on neurodevelopmental disorders: Potential association of heavy metal exposure and autism.Journal of trace elements in medicine and biology : organ of the Society for Minerals and Trace Elements (GMS) · 2020Review
- Birth Cohorts in Highly Contaminated Sites: A Tool for Monitoring the Relationships Between Environmental Pollutants and Children's Health.Frontiers in public health · 2020Article
- Empathy in Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disorders · 2019Article
- NRXN1 Deletion and Exposure to Methylmercury Increase Astrocyte Differentiation by Different Notch-Dependent Transcriptional Mechanisms.Frontiers in genetics · 2019Article
- Prenatal mercury exposure and features of autism: a prospective population study.Molecular autism · 2018Article
- Systematic Assessment of Research on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Mercury Reveals Conflicts of Interest and the Need for Transparency in Autism Research.Science and engineering ethics · 2017Review
- Impaired Redox Control in Autism Spectrum Disorders: Could It Be the X in GxE?Current psychiatry reports · 2017Review
- Autism spectrum disorder in sub-saharan africa: A comprehensive scoping review.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research · 2017Article
- Chemicals, Nutrition, and Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Mini-Review.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2016Review
- Genetic Syndromes, Maternal Diseases and Antenatal Factors Associated with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).Frontiers in neuroscience · 2016Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
12 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThere continues to be public concern that mercury exposure and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may be associated. The primary source of exposure to organic mercury in humans is to methylmercury from fish consumption. We evaluated the association between prenatal methylmercury exposure and ASD phenotype in children and adolescents in the Republic of Seychelles, where fish consumption is high.
methodsWe administered the Social Communication Questionnaire to parents of a cohort of 1784 children, adolescents, and young adults. The Social Responsiveness Scale was administered to teachers of 537 cohort subjects at about 10 years of age. Prenatal exposure to methylmercury was measured in maternal hair samples collected at or near the time of birth. Multivariable regression models evaluated the relationship between prenatal methylmercury exposure and ASD phenotypic scores, adjusting for relevant covariates.
resultsThe mean prenatal methylmercury exposure for subjects in the analysis was 8.4 ppm (standard deviation [SD] = 5.7). The mean Social Communication Questionnaire score was 8.0 (SD = 4.4). The mean prenatal methylmercury exposure for subjects with Social Responsiveness Scale scores was 6.7 ppm (SD = 4.4) and the mean Social Responsiveness Scale score was 57.6 (SD = 26.8). No consistent association between prenatal methylmercury exposure and ASD screening instrument was found, using linear and nonlinear regression analyses.
conclusionsPrenatal exposure to methylmercury was not associated with ASD phenotypic behaviors in our cohort of high fish consumers. Our findings contribute to the growing literature suggesting that exposure to methylmercury does not play an important role in the development of ASD phenotypic behavior.
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