Neurodevelopment of Amazonian infants: antenatal and postnatal exposure to methyl- and ethylmercury.

Author: Dórea JG, Marques RC, Isejima C.

Source: J Biomed Biotechnol.

Year: 2012

Comment:

Abstract / Excerpt:

“Neurodevelopment as Gesell development scores (GDSs) in relation to mercury exposure in infants (<6 months of age) of one urban center and two rural villages, respectively, of fisherman and cassiterite miners. Mean total hair-Hg (HHg) concentrations of infants from Itapuã (3.95 ± 1.8?ppm) were statistically (P = 0.0001) different from those of infants from Porto Velho (3.84 ± 5.5?ppm) and Bom Futuro (1.85 ± 0.9?ppm). Differences in vaccine coverage among these populations resulted in significantly higher (P = 0.0001) mean ethylmercury (EtHg) exposure in urban infants (150??g) than in infants from either village (41.67??g, Itapuã; 42.39??g, Bom Futuro). There was an inverse significant (Spearman r = -0.2300; P = 0.0376) correlation between HHg and GDS for infants from Porto Velho, but not for the rural infants from Bom Futuro (Spearman r = 0.1336; P = 0.0862) and Itapuã (Spearman r = 0.1666; P = 0.5182). Logistic regression applied to variables above or below the median GDS showed that EtHg exposure (estimated probability = -0.0157; P = 0.0070) and breastfeeding score (estimated probability = -0.0066; P = 0.0536) score were significantly associated with GDS. Conclusion. In nurslings whose mothers are exposed to different levels of fish-MeHg (HHg), a higher score of neurological development at six months was negatively associated with exposure to additional TCV-EtHg. Results should be interpreted with caution because of unaccounted variables.”

Citation:

Dórea JG, Marques RC, Isejima C. Neurodevelopment of Amazonian infants: antenatal and postnatal exposure to methyl- and ethylmercury. J Biomed Biotechnol. 2012; 2012: 132876.