CHICAGO -- A Danish study suggests childhood vaccines with a mercury-containing preservative do not appear to be linked to autism rates in Denmark.

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An analysis of 30 years of data shows that autism in Denmark increased shortly before the discontinuation of thimerosal in vaccines in 1992, and continued to increase for several years even after its use was discontinued.

The lead author said if thimerosal had been an important cause of autism, the condition would have declined when thimerosal was removed from vaccines in most industrialized countries.

The findings are published in September's edition of the journal Pediatrics.

Many parents of autistic children think increases in the number of recommended childhood vaccines are to blame for the apparent autism surge, though many scientists think that's just a coincidence.

Safe Minds activist group called the report misleading and biased. The group said it's not surprising that Pediatrics published a pro-vaccine study because it said the journal's core readers are pediatricians, and they administer vaccines.

Study Abstract
Safe Minds