1
|
Valent F, Mariuz M, Bin M, Little D, Mazej D, Tognin V, Tratnik J, McAfee AJ, Mulhern MS, Parpinel M, Carrozzi M, Horvat M, Tamburlini G, Barbone F. Associations of prenatal mercury exposure from maternal fish consumption and polyunsaturated fatty acids with child neurodevelopment: a prospective cohort study in Italy. J Epidemiol 2013; 23:360-70. [PMID: 23933621 PMCID: PMC3775530 DOI: 10.2188/jea.je20120168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2012] [Accepted: 05/05/2013] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mercury is a neurotoxin, and limited prenatal exposure to it can affect long-term child neurodevelopment. However, results of epidemiologic studies of such exposure have been inconsistent. We examined the association of prenatal mercury exposure from maternal fish consumption with child neurodevelopment in northern Italy. METHODS A population-based cohort of 606 children and their mothers was studied from pregnancy to age 18 months. Mercury levels were measured in maternal hair and blood during pregnancy and in umbilical cord blood and breast milk. Levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) were measured in maternal serum. Maternal and child intakes of fish were assessed by using a food frequency questionnaire. The Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition (BSID-III) was used to evaluate child neurodevelopment. Multivariate linear regression was used to examine the association of mercury exposure with BSID-III scores, after controlling for maternal fish intake, PUFAs during pregnancy, and several other confounders. RESULTS Mean weekly fish intake during pregnancy was less than 2 servings. Mercury concentrations in biological samples were low (mean, 1061 ng/g in hair) and moderately correlated with fish intake, particularly of carnivorous species. Maternal ω-3 PUFA concentrations were poorly correlated with fish intake. Maternal intelligence quotient (IQ) and child intake of fish were significantly associated with neurodevelopment scores. In multivariate models, the level of Hg exposure was not associated with neurodevelopmental performance at 18 months. CONCLUSIONS In this Italian population, neurodevelopment at 18 months was associated with child intake of fresh fish and maternal IQ rather than with mercury exposure. The expected beneficial effect of maternal fish intake (from maternal ω-3 PUFAs) was not found.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Valent
- Institute of Hygiene and Clinical Epidemiology, University Hospital of Udine, Udine, Italy.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
2
|
Watson GE, Evans K, Thurston SW, van Wijngaarden E, Wallace JMW, McSorley EM, Bonham MP, Mulhern MS, McAfee AJ, Davidson PW, Shamlaye CF, Strain JJ, Love T, Zareba G, Myers GJ. Prenatal exposure to dental amalgam in the Seychelles Child Development Nutrition Study: associations with neurodevelopmental outcomes at 9 and 30 months. Neurotoxicology 2012; 33:1511-1517. [PMID: 23064204 PMCID: PMC3576043 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2012.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2012] [Revised: 09/25/2012] [Accepted: 10/02/2012] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dental amalgam is approximately 50% metallic mercury and releases mercury vapor into the oral cavity, where it is inhaled and absorbed. Maternal amalgams expose the developing fetus to mercury vapor. Mercury vapor can be toxic, but uncertainty remains whether prenatal amalgam exposure is associated with neurodevelopmental consequences in offspring. OBJECTIVE To determine if prenatal mercury vapor exposure from maternal dental amalgam is associated with adverse effects to cognition and development in children. METHODS We prospectively determined dental amalgam status in a cohort of 300 pregnant women recruited in 2001 in the Republic of Seychelles to study the risks and benefits of fish consumption. The primary exposure measure was maternal amalgam surfaces present during gestation. Maternal occlusal points were a secondary measure. Outcomes were the child's mental (MDI) and psychomotor (PDI) developmental indices of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-II (BSID-II) administered at 9 and 30 months. Complete exposure, outcome, and covariate data were available on a subset of 242 mother-child pairs. RESULTS The number of amalgam surfaces was not significantly (p>0.05) associated with either PDI or MDI scores. Similarly, secondary analysis with occlusal points showed no effect on the PDI or MDI scores for boys and girls combined. However, secondary analysis of the 9-month MDI was suggestive of an adverse association present only in girls. CONCLUSION We found no evidence of an association between our primary exposure metric, amalgam surfaces, and neurodevelopmental endpoints. Secondary analyses using occlusal points supported these findings, but suggested the possibility of an adverse association with the MDI for girls at 9 months. Given the continued widespread use of dental amalgam, we believe additional prospective studies to clarify this issue are a priority.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gene E Watson
- Eastman Institute for Oral Health, and Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Box 705, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Box EHSC, Rochester, NY 14642, USA.
| | - Katie Evans
- Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Box 630, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Sally W Thurston
- Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Box 630, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Edwin van Wijngaarden
- Department of Community and Preventive Medicine, University of Rochester, 265 Crittenden Blvd., CU 420644, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Julie M W Wallace
- Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health (NICHE), University of Ulster, Cromore Road, Coleraine BT52 1SA, Northern Ireland
| | - Emeir M McSorley
- Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health (NICHE), University of Ulster, Cromore Road, Coleraine BT52 1SA, Northern Ireland
| | - Maxine P Bonham
- Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health (NICHE), University of Ulster, Cromore Road, Coleraine BT52 1SA, Northern Ireland
| | - Maria S Mulhern
- Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health (NICHE), University of Ulster, Cromore Road, Coleraine BT52 1SA, Northern Ireland
| | - Alison J McAfee
- Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health (NICHE), University of Ulster, Cromore Road, Coleraine BT52 1SA, Northern Ireland
| | - Philip W Davidson
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Box EHSC, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Rochester, 265 Crittenden Blvd., CU 420606, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Conrad F Shamlaye
- Republic of Seychelles Ministry of Health and Social Services, Victoria, Mahé, Seychelles
| | - J J Strain
- Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health (NICHE), University of Ulster, Cromore Road, Coleraine BT52 1SA, Northern Ireland
| | - Tanzy Love
- Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Box 630, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Grazyna Zareba
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Box EHSC, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Gary J Myers
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Box EHSC, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Rochester, 265 Crittenden Blvd., CU 420606, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Box 631, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Strain JJ, Davidson PW, Thurston SW, Harrington D, Mulhern MS, McAfee AJ, van Wijngaarden E, Shamlaye CF, Henderson J, Watson GE, Zareba G, Cory-Slechta DA, Lynch M, Wallace JMW, McSorley EM, Bonham MP, Stokes-Riner A, Sloane-Reeves J, Janciuras J, Wong R, Clarkson TW, Myers GJ. Maternal PUFA status but not prenatal methylmercury exposure is associated with children's language functions at age five years in the Seychelles. J Nutr 2012; 142:1943-9. [PMID: 23014496 PMCID: PMC3498972 DOI: 10.3945/jn.112.163493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2012] [Revised: 06/08/2012] [Accepted: 08/20/2012] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Evidence from the Seychelles Child Development Nutrition Study suggests that maternal nutritional status can modulate the relationship between prenatal methylmercury (MeHg) exposure and developmental outcomes in children. The aim of this study was to investigate whether maternal PUFA status was a confounding factor in any possible associations between prenatal MeHg exposure and developmental outcomes at 5 y of age in the Republic of Seychelles. Maternal status of (n-3) and (n-6) PUFA were measured in serum collected at 28 wk gestation and delivery. Prenatal MeHg exposure was determined in maternal hair collected at delivery. At 5 y of age, the children completed a comprehensive range of sensitive developmental assessments. Complete data from 225 mothers and their children were available for analysis. Multiple linear regression analyses revealed Preschool Language Scale scores of the children improved with increasing maternal serum DHA [22:6(n-3)] concentrations and decreased with increasing arachidonic acid [20:4(n-6)] concentrations, albeit verbal intelligence improved with increasing (n-6) PUFA concentrations in maternal serum. There were no adverse associations between MeHg exposure and developmental outcomes. These findings suggest that higher fish consumption, resulting in higher maternal (n-3) PUFA status, during pregnancy is associated with beneficial developmental effects rather than detrimental effects resulting from the higher concomitant exposures of the fetus to MeHg. The association of maternal (n-3) PUFA status with improved child language development may partially explain the authors' previous finding of improving language scores, as prenatal MeHg exposure increased in an earlier mother-child cohort in the Seychelles where maternal PUFA status was not measured.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J. J. Strain
- Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health, University of Ulster, Coleraine, UK
| | - Philip W. Davidson
- School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
| | - Sally W. Thurston
- School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
| | - Donald Harrington
- School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
| | - Maria S. Mulhern
- Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health, University of Ulster, Coleraine, UK
| | - Alison J. McAfee
- Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health, University of Ulster, Coleraine, UK
| | | | | | | | - Gene E. Watson
- School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
| | - Grazyna Zareba
- School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
| | | | - Miranda Lynch
- School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
| | - Julie M. W. Wallace
- Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health, University of Ulster, Coleraine, UK
| | - Emeir M. McSorley
- Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health, University of Ulster, Coleraine, UK
| | - Maxine P. Bonham
- Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Abbie Stokes-Riner
- School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
| | - Jean Sloane-Reeves
- School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
| | - Joanne Janciuras
- School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
| | - Rosa Wong
- School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
| | - Thomas W. Clarkson
- School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
| | - Gary J. Myers
- School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
McAfee AJ, Mulhern MS, McSorley EM, Wallace JMW, Bonham MP, Faure J, Romain S, Esther C, Shamlaye CF, Watson GE, Myers GJ, Clarkson TW, Davidson PW, Strain JJ. Intakes and adequacy of potentially important nutrients for cognitive development among 5-year-old children in the Seychelles Child Development and Nutrition Study. Public Health Nutr 2012; 15:1670-7. [PMID: 22321870 PMCID: PMC3654211 DOI: 10.1017/s136898001200016x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess the nutritional adequacy of Seychellois children in relation to nutrients reported to be important for cognitive development. DESIGN Dietary intakes were assessed by 4 d weighed food diaries and analysed using dietary analysis software (WISP version 3·0; Tinuviel Software, UK). Individual nutrient intakes were adjusted to usual intakes and, in order to investigate adequacy, were compared with the UK Estimated Average Requirements for children aged 4-6 years. SETTING Children 5 years old were followed up as part of the Seychelles Child Development Nutrition Study (SCDNS), located in the high-fish-consuming population of Mahé, Republic of Seychelles. SUBJECTS Analysis was carried out on a sample of 229 children (118 boys, 111 girls). RESULTS Children consumed a diet of which fortified cereal and milk products contributed the most to nutrient intakes. The majority (≥80 %) of children met requirements for several nutrients important for child development including Fe, folate and Se. Adjusted dietary intakes of Cu, Zn, iodine, niacin and vitamin A were below the Estimated Average Requirement or Recommended Nutrient Intake. Mean adjusted energy intakes (boys 4769 kJ/d (1139·84 kcal/d), girls 4759 kJ/d (1137·43 kcal/d)) were lower than the estimated energy requirement (boys 5104 kJ/d (1220 kcal/d), girls 5042 kJ/d (1205 kcal/d)) for 88 % of boys and 86 % of girls. CONCLUSIONS Nutrition was adequate for most children within the SCDNS cohort. Low intakes of some nutrients (including Zn, niacin and vitamin A) could reflect nutritional database inaccuracies, but may require further investigation. The study provides valuable information on the adequacy of intakes of nutrients which could affect the growth and development of Seychellois children.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alison J McAfee
- Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health (NICHE), School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Ulster, Coleraine BT52 1SA, UK.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|