(sorry to shout)
I know that it doesn't sound that significant, but it is everywhere now. I have been following the mercury connection for over a year now, and since that report from the IOM said that the mercury connection is "biologically plausible", it is all ROLLING now. It can't stop. The research on autism is turning to mercury and autism. It is all over. And the Associated Press is the Pope of the Media. They know. They all know. This can lead to available treatments and insurance coverage.
Experts Show How To Avoid Mercury
[By Karen Gaudette in the Associated Press, Contra Costa Times, California.]
http://www.contracostatimes.com/health/stories/merc_20011025.htm
San Francisco - Pediatricians say simple steps such as taking off shoes when entering a home or tossing old thermometers can prevent brain damage kids may suffer from exposure to mercury and pesticides.
Doctors at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pediatrics said Wednesday that parents must monitor any way their children could come into contact with such toxins, especially when they're in the womb.
"It's almost certain the most critical part of pregnancy is the first trimester as far as brain development," said Michael Shannon, a pediatrician
at Children's Hospital Boston. "If something happens on day 14, there is nothing you can do subsequently."
Shannon said kids younger than 5 and women planning to become pregnant should cut back on eating fish at the top of the food chain, such as tuna, shark and swordfish, all of which can absorb high levels of
mercury. He suggested women eat no more than 12 ounces of fish each week beginning four months before they conceive.
The connection between high levels of exposure to mercury and nervous system disorders has long been known. Much of the country's mercury comes from fossil fuel-burning power plants and waste incinerators. Closer to home, a broken mercury thermometer can emit toxic vapors.
In July, the American Academy of Pediatrics said doctors and parents should use digital thermometers. To avoid sending more mercury into the
environment, owners should dispose of mercury thermometers at hazardous waste collection centers.
Some vaccines also use a form of mercury as a preservative called thimerosal. Scientists so far are unable to determine if there is a link between thimerosal and childhood disorders, but the National Academy of Sciences this month advised health authorities to reduce its use.
More than 35 law firms have formed a coalition in an effort to force the pharmaceutical industry to pay for studies investigating whether trace amounts of mercury in vaccines cause autism and learning disabilities in young children.
William Weil, a pediatrician and member of the academy's environmental health committee, advised families to remove shoes indoors to avoid spreading weed and insect killer on the carpet, which can then end up on children's hands and toys.
Pediatricians also advise people to wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly. Remove outer leaves of lettuce, cabbage and other leafy vegetables before eating. Outer layers typically carry the highest levels of pesticides.
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