Hi Erica,
given this study, that is a very good question. One thing to distinguish is that in vitro doesn't always translate to in vivo. In vitro is just studying a cell line and its response to some sort of challenge, in this case the addition of low-dose thimerosal. In vivo, the body has a whole community of cells to deal with potential "toxins," so by the time the Thimerosal reached the placenta, during your pregnancy, it has gone through certain stages of metabolism and detoxification. That said, experience with other Thimerosal-containing vaccines during pregnancy seems to point to no harm, but this is hard to quantify [how do you define harm, and how long into the child's life do you look for this possible harm?]. Thimerosal has been removed from most childhood vaccines because of the fear of a causative role in Autism Spectrum Disorders. A child in the first years of life has a less mature detoxification system and may be more susceptible to toxins like the mercury in Thimerosal, especially if they have a mitochondrial disorder. You should have a frank discussion with your pediatrician about the dosing schedule, contents, and potential adverse reactions of childhood vaccines.