TY - JOUR
T1 - Combined prenatal exposure to mercury and LCPUFA on newborn's brain measures and neurodevelopment at the age of 18 months
AU - Nišević, Jelena Radić
AU - Prpić, Igor
AU - Kolić, Ivana
AU - Baždarić, Ksenija
AU - Tratnik, Janja Snoj
AU - Prpić, Ingrid Škarpa
AU - Mazej, Darja
AU - Špirić, Zdravko
AU - Barbone, Fabio
AU - Horvat, Milena
PY - 2019/11
Y1 - 2019/11
N2 - Objectives: Prenatal exposure of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) are essential for normal fetal growth and neurodevelopment. Availability of LCPUFA depends mostly on maternal fish consumption. Fish consumption also exposes the fetus to mercury which is well known neurotoxicant. We analyzed the associations of combined LCPUFA and mercury from fish consumption during pregnancy on newborn's brain measures and child neurodevelopment in a northern Adriatic coastal area. Patients and methods: The prospective cohort study included 257 mother – infant pairs enrolled in a susceptible population of the Public Health Impact on long-term, low-level, Mixed Element exposure (PHIME) EU Sixth Framework Programme from 2 recruitment areas of the northern part of the Adriatic coast. Umbilical cord blood taken at delivery was used for measuring concentration of total mercury (THg) and specific LCPUFA - docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (ARA). Neonatal cranial sonography was performed at the age of 3 days in 57 newborns. Neurodevelopmental assessment of cognitive, motor and language skills were conducted at 257 children at the age of 18 months using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition. The participants were divided into two groups depending on the THg concentration in the umbilical cord blood (exposed > 5.8 μg/L and unexposed < 5.8 μg/L). Dietary habits and exposures to environmental and social factors were assessed through questionnaires. Results: There is a statistically significant difference in the cerebellum length (p = 0.032) and the superior frontal gyrus width (p = 0.023) between the exposed and the unexposed group. In combined analysis, including possible protective variables as DHA and ARA (R2 = 0.22, p = 0.001), the negative contribution of THg on cerebellum length (beta = −0.16, p = 0.001) persisted. We found no correlation between THg concentration in umbilical cord blood and child neurodevelopment scores at the age of 18 months. Language score with receptive and expressive subscores was significantly associated with fish consumption (p < 0.05). Conclusion: This analysis demonstrates the existence of morphological brain changes in newborns that are prenatally exposed at mercury concentrations what was diminished in combined analyse including LCPUFA. Our results emphasizes the importance of LCPUFA's and mercury common influence as a predictor of developmental outcome. Fish consumption, not solely LCPUFA contributes to better language development of children at the age of 18 months.
AB - Objectives: Prenatal exposure of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) are essential for normal fetal growth and neurodevelopment. Availability of LCPUFA depends mostly on maternal fish consumption. Fish consumption also exposes the fetus to mercury which is well known neurotoxicant. We analyzed the associations of combined LCPUFA and mercury from fish consumption during pregnancy on newborn's brain measures and child neurodevelopment in a northern Adriatic coastal area. Patients and methods: The prospective cohort study included 257 mother – infant pairs enrolled in a susceptible population of the Public Health Impact on long-term, low-level, Mixed Element exposure (PHIME) EU Sixth Framework Programme from 2 recruitment areas of the northern part of the Adriatic coast. Umbilical cord blood taken at delivery was used for measuring concentration of total mercury (THg) and specific LCPUFA - docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (ARA). Neonatal cranial sonography was performed at the age of 3 days in 57 newborns. Neurodevelopmental assessment of cognitive, motor and language skills were conducted at 257 children at the age of 18 months using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition. The participants were divided into two groups depending on the THg concentration in the umbilical cord blood (exposed > 5.8 μg/L and unexposed < 5.8 μg/L). Dietary habits and exposures to environmental and social factors were assessed through questionnaires. Results: There is a statistically significant difference in the cerebellum length (p = 0.032) and the superior frontal gyrus width (p = 0.023) between the exposed and the unexposed group. In combined analysis, including possible protective variables as DHA and ARA (R2 = 0.22, p = 0.001), the negative contribution of THg on cerebellum length (beta = −0.16, p = 0.001) persisted. We found no correlation between THg concentration in umbilical cord blood and child neurodevelopment scores at the age of 18 months. Language score with receptive and expressive subscores was significantly associated with fish consumption (p < 0.05). Conclusion: This analysis demonstrates the existence of morphological brain changes in newborns that are prenatally exposed at mercury concentrations what was diminished in combined analyse including LCPUFA. Our results emphasizes the importance of LCPUFA's and mercury common influence as a predictor of developmental outcome. Fish consumption, not solely LCPUFA contributes to better language development of children at the age of 18 months.
KW - Child neurodevelopment
KW - Fish consumption
KW - LCPUFA
KW - Methylmercury
KW - Prenatal exposure
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U2 - 10.1016/j.envres.2019.108682
DO - 10.1016/j.envres.2019.108682
M3 - Article
C2 - 31450150
AN - SCOPUS:85071000610
VL - 178
JO - Environmental Research
JF - Environmental Research
SN - 0013-9351
M1 - 108682
ER -