RT Journal
A1 Mitka M
T1 AUtism research
JF JAMA
JO JAMA
YR 2012
FD June 13
VO 307
IS 22
SP 2362
OP 2362
DO 10.1001/jama.2012.6078
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.2012.6078
AB 
In a March 30 blog post, Burton, whose grandson was diagnosed with autism in the late 1990s, noted he has held no fewer than 20 hearings examining the state of federal scientific research into the cause of and treatment for autism, but that more needed to be done. “I’m not a scientist, but the committee heard from many credible scientists and experts who are convinced that mercury is a contributing factor; and the theory is no less worthy of exploration than the theories being propounded today that the pregnancy weight of the mother or the age of the father at conception influences whether a child becomes autistic,” Burton wrote. “When you have no idea what is causing a disease, policymakers and scientists should never be afraid to investigate any plausible theory (http://tinyurl.com/7s2pg48).”