Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Article
  • Published:

Infants' exposure to aluminum from vaccines and breast milk during the first 6 months

Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology volume 20, pages 598–601 (2010)Cite this article

Abstract

The success of vaccination programs in reducing and eliminating infectious diseases has contributed to an ever-increasing number of vaccines given at earlier ages (newborns and infants). Exposure to low levels of environmental toxic substances (including metals) at an early age raises plausible concerns over increasingly lower neuro-cognitive rates. Current immunization schedules with vaccines containing aluminum (as adjuvant) are given to infants, but thimerosal (as preservative) is found mostly in vaccines used in non-industrialized countries. Exclusively, breastfed infants (in Brazil) receiving a full recommended schedule of immunizations showed an exceedingly high exposure of Al (225 to 1750 μg per dose) when compared with estimated levels absorbed from breast milk (2.0 μg). This study does not dispute the safety of vaccines but reinforces the need to study long-term effects of early exposure to neuro-toxic substances on the developing brain. Pragmatic vaccine safety needs to embrace conventional toxicology, addressing especial characteristics of unborn fetuses, neonates and infants exposed to low levels of aluminum, and ethylmercury traditionally considered innocuous to the central nervous system.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • AAP, American Academy of Pediatrics; Committee on Nutrition. Aluminum toxicity in infants and children. Pediatrics 1996: 97: 413–416.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baskin D.S., Ngo H., and Didenko V.V. Thimerosal induces DNA breaks, caspase-3 activation, membrane damage, and cell death in cultured human neurons and fibroblasts. Toxicol Sci 2003: 74: 361–368.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Baylor N.W., Egan W., and Richman P. Aluminum salts in vaccines--US perspective. Vaccine 2002: 20 (Suppl 3): S18–S23.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Deth R., Muratore C., Benzecry J., Power-Charnitsky V.A., and Waly M. How environmental and genetic factors combine to cause autism: a redox/methylation hypothesis. Neurotoxicology 2008: 29: 190–201.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dórea J.G. Mercury and lead during breast-feeding. Br J Nutr 2004: 92: 21–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dórea J.G. Exposure to mercury during the first six months via human milk and vaccines: modifying risk factors. Am J Perinatol 2007: 24: 387–400.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dórea J.G., Marques R.C., and Brandão K.G. Neonate exposure to thimerosal mercury from hepatitis B vaccines. Am J Perinatol 2009: 26: 523–527.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Egan P.M., Belfast M.T., Giménez J.A., Sitrin R.D., and Mancinelli R.J. Relationship between tightness of binding and immunogenicity in an aluminum-containing adjuvant-adsorbed hepatitis B vaccine. Vaccine 2009: 27: 3175–3180.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gallagher C., and Goodman M. Hepatitis B triple series vaccine and developmental disability in US children aged 1–9 years. Toxicol Environ Chem 2008: 90: 997–1008.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Geier D.A., King P.G., and Geier M.R. Mitochondrial dysfunction, impaired oxidative-reduction activity, degeneration, and death in human neuronal and fetal cells induced by low-level exposure to thimerosal and other metal compounds. Toxicol Environ Chem 2009: 91: 735–749.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hewitson L., Houser L.A., Stott C., Sackett G., Tomko J.L., Atwood D., Blue L., White E.R., and Wakefield A.J. Delayed acquisition of neonatal reflexes in newborn primates receiving a thimerosal-containing hepatitis B Vaccine: influence of gestational age and birth weight. Neurotoxicology 2009; doi:10.1016/j.neuro.2009.09.008.

  • Hornig M., Chian D., and Lipkin W.I. Neurotoxic effects of postnatal thimerosal are mouse strain dependent. Mol Psychiatry 2004: 9: 833–845.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • James S.J., Slikker W., Melnyk S., New E., Pogribna M., and Jernigan S. Thimerosal neurotoxicity is associated with glutathione depletion: protection with glutathione precursors. Neurotoxicology 2005: 26: 1–8.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Keith L.S., Jones D.E., and Chou C.H. Aluminum toxicokinetics regarding infant diet and vaccinations. Vaccine 2002: 20 (Suppl.3): S13–S17.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Marques R.C., Dórea J.G., Bastos W.R., Rebelo M.F., and Fonseca M.F., et al. Maternal mercury exposure and neuro-motor development in breastfed infants from Porto Velho (Amazon), Brazil. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2007a: 210: 51–60.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Marques R.C., Dórea J.G., Bernardi J.V., Bastos W.R., and Malm O. Pre- and post-natal mercury exposure, breastfeeding and neurodevelopment during the first five years. Cognit Behav Neurol 2009: 22: 134–141.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marques R.C., Dórea J.G., Bastos W.R., and Malm O. Changes in children hair-Hg concentrations during the first 5 years: maternal, environmental and iatrogenic modifying factors. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 2007c: 49: 17–24.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Marques R.C., Dórea J.G., Fonseca M.F., Bastos W.R., and Malm O. Hair mercury in breast-fed infants exposed to thimerosal-preserved vaccines. Eur J Pediatr 2007d: 166: 935–941.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Marques R.C., Dórea J.G., Manzatto A.G., Bastos W.R., Bernardi J.V., and Malm O. Time of perinatal immunization, thimerosal exposure and neurodevelopment at 6 months in breastfed infants. Acta Paediatr 2007b: 96: 864–868.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marques R.C., Bernardi J.V., Dórea J.G., Bastos W.R., and Malm O. Principal component analysis and discrimination of variables associated with pre- and post-natal exposure to mercury. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2008: 211: 606–614.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mutter J., Naumann J., Schneider R., and Walach H. [Mercury and Alzheimer's disease]. Fortschr Neurol Psychiatr 2007: 75: 528–538.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Offit P.A., and Jew R.K. Addressing parents' concerns: do vaccines contain harmful preservatives, adjuvants, additives, or residuals? Pediatrics 2003: 112: 1394–1397.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Olczak M., Duszczyk M., Mierzejewskia P., and Majewska M.D. Neonatal administration of a vaccine preservative, thimerosal, produces lasting impairment of nociception and apparent activation of opioid system in rats. Brain Res 2009; doi:10.1016/j.brainres.2009.09.003.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Parran D.K., Barker A., and Ehrich M. Effects of thimerosal on NGF signal transduction and cell death in neuroblastoma cells. Toxicol Sci 2005: 86: 132–140.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Petrik M.S., Wong M.C., Tabata R.C., Garry R.F., and Shaw C.A. Aluminum adjuvant linked to gulf war illness induces motor neuron death in mice. Neuromolecular Med 2007: 9: 83–100.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Redhead K., Quinlan G.J., Das R.G., and Gutteridge J.M. Aluminium-adjuvanted vaccines transiently increase aluminium levels in murine brain tissue. Pharmacol Toxicol 1992: 70: 278–280.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Toimela T., and Tähti H. Mitochondrial viability and apoptosis induced by aluminum, mercuric mercury and methylmercury in cell lines of neural origin. Arch Toxicol 2004: 78: 565–574.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ueha-Ishibashi T., Oyama Y., Nakao H., Umebayashi C., Nishizaki Y., and Tatsuishi T., et al. Effect of thimerosal, a preservative in vaccines, on intracellular Ca2+ concentration of rat cerebellar neurons. Toxicology 2004: 195: 77–84.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization — UNESCO, Ministério da Saúde do Brasil (SC27824/2005/914BRA2000 Decit PRODOC) and the National Research Council of Brazil-CNPq (PNOPG project-55.0882/01-4; PPG7, project-556985/2005-2).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutrition, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brazil

    José G Dórea

  2. Department of Nursing, Fundação Universidade Federal de Rondônia, Porto Velho, RO, Brazil

    José G Dórea & Rejane C Marques

Authors
  1. José G Dórea
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Rejane C Marques
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to José G Dórea.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Dórea, J., Marques, R. Infants' exposure to aluminum from vaccines and breast milk during the first 6 months. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 20, 598–601 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/jes.2009.64

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/jes.2009.64

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links