The Truth About Austism, Thimerosal and Countries like Denmark

If you spend any time on the web, you've seen the controversy over thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative in childhood vaccines and its alleged link to the growing number of autism cases. Anti-vaccine groups love to point to Denmark, which outlawed thimerosal in 1992 as proof of the link. The anti-vaccine movement has been large, vocal and incredibly persistent in their charge that autism is the direct result of childhood vaccines.

The TRUTH About Autism in Denmark

The truth is that in the years following the ban on thimerosal, autism rates in Denmark have increased markedly--not dropped as anti-vaccine web sites claim. And not only did rates of autism rise, the number of cases of hyperactivity and Tourette's rose as well.

A 2007 study reinforced what other studies had already found--autism is rising in Denmark, regardless of what the various anti-vaccine groups claim. This latest study, done by the University of Aarhus, looked at the medical history of every single child born in Denmark between 1990 and 1999. By 2004, well over 4,000 of those children had been diagnosed with one or more developmental disorders--including autism.

Obviously, we can't blame the vaccines because the "bad" stuff--thimerosal--had been taken from the market years before most of these children were even born.

So what's really causing rising rates of autism in Denmark? We don't know but it's probably the same thing that's fueling rising autism rates here in the U.S. Perhaps we're less likely to accept certain "bad" behaviors as normal these days. Perhaps today's parents are more likely to seek medical or psychological help for behavioral problems. Perhaps doctors are better able to diagnose issues like autism. Perhaps the "umbrella" of autism is growing to include milder and milder forms of the disorder. Or maybe it's a combination of all these things.