PMID- 27771004 OWN - NLM STAT- MEDLINE DCOM- 20170505 LR - 20170505 IS - 1096-0953 (Electronic) IS - 0013-9351 (Linking) VI - 152 DP - 2017 Jan TI - Prenatal exposure to low-level methylmercury alters the child's fine motor skills at the age of 18 months. PG - 369-374 LID - S0013-9351(16)30806-4 [pii] LID - 10.1016/j.envres.2016.10.011 [doi] AB - OBJECTIVES: To compare motor, cognitive and language characteristics in children aged 18 months who were prenatally exposed to low-level methyl-mercury (MeHg), and to analyze the eventual differences in these characteristics in relation to cord blood THg concentration. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The total number of 205 child-mother pairs was included in the study, and total cord blood mercury was measured in 198 of them. Out of the 198 already measured samples, 47 of them have also been tested for methyl-mercury in cord blood. Data regarding the 47 samples of MeHg levels has been used for calculating the correlation between cord blood THg and cord blood MeHg. MeHg and THg showed a significant correlation (r=0.95, p<0.05). One month after the delivery, mothers were asked to complete the questionnaire regarding socioeconomic factors, breastfeeding of their infants, and dietary habits during pregnancy. Neurodevelopmental assessment of motor, cognitive and language skills were conducted on 168 children using The Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition (BSID-III). Regarding the cord blood THg concentration, 135 children were divided in 4 quartile groups. Their neurodevelopmental characteristics have been compared. RESULTS: The cord blood THg concentration median and inter-quartile range was 2.98ng/g (1.41-5.61ng/g). There was a negative correlation between cord blood THg concentration and fine motor skills (rho=-0.22, p=0.01). It is evident that children grouped in 2nd ,3rd and 4th quartile had statistically significant lower fine motor skills assessment related to those grouped in 1st quartile (2nd quartile -1.24, p=0.03; 3rd quartile -1.28, p=0.03; 4th quartile -1.45, p=0.01). The differences in fine motor skills assessments between children in 2nd and 3rd and 3rd and 4th quartile were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Intrauterine exposure to low-level THg (MeHg) is associated with alterations in fine motor skills at the age of 18 months. CI - Copyright A(c) 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc. FAU - Prpic, Igor AU - Prpic I AD - University Hospital Rijeka, University of Rijeka, Medical Faculty, Istarska 43, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia. Electronic address: igor.prpic@medri.uniri.hr. FAU - Milardovic, Ana AU - Milardovic A AD - University Hospital Rijeka, University of Rijeka, Medical Faculty, Istarska 43, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia. Electronic address: ana.milardovic@medri.uniri.hr. FAU - Vlasic-Cicvaric, Inge AU - Vlasic-Cicvaric I AD - University Hospital Rijeka, Centre for Clinical, Health and Organizational Psychology, Istarska 43, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia. Electronic address: inge_v_c@yahoo.com. FAU - Spiric, Zdravko AU - Spiric Z AD - University of Rijeka, Medical Faculty, Oikon Ltd. Institute for Applied Ecology, Trg Senjskih Uskoka 2, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia. Electronic address: zspiric@oikon.hr. FAU - Radic Nisevic, Jelena AU - Radic Nisevic J AD - University Hospital Rijeka, University of Rijeka, Medical Faculty, Istarska 43, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia. Electronic address: jelaradi@yahoo.com. FAU - Vukelic, Petar AU - Vukelic P AD - University Hospital Rijeka, University of Rijeka, Medical Faculty, Istarska 43, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia. Electronic address: 911petar@gmail.com. FAU - Snoj Tratnik, Janja AU - Snoj Tratnik J AD - Institute "Jozef Stefan", Department of Environmental Sciences, Jamova 39, Ljubljana, Slovenia. FAU - Mazej, Darja AU - Mazej D AD - Institute "Jozef Stefan", Department of Environmental Sciences, Jamova 39, Ljubljana, Slovenia. FAU - Horvat, Milena AU - Horvat M AD - Institute "Jozef Stefan", Department of Environmental Sciences, Jamova 39, Ljubljana, Slovenia. Electronic address: milena.horvat@ijs.si. LA - eng PT - Journal Article DEP - 20161020 PL - Netherlands TA - Environ Res JT - Environmental research JID - 0147621 RN - 0 (Environmental Pollutants) RN - 0 (Methylmercury Compounds) SB - IM MH - Cohort Studies MH - Croatia/epidemiology MH - Environmental Pollutants/*toxicity MH - Female MH - Humans MH - Infant MH - Male MH - *Maternal Exposure MH - Methylmercury Compounds/*toxicity MH - Motor Skills/*drug effects MH - Motor Skills Disorders/chemically induced/*epidemiology MH - Pregnancy MH - Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects/chemically induced/*epidemiology OTO - NOTNLM OT - Cord blood OT - Methyl-mercury OT - Motor skills OT - Neurodevelopment OT - Prenatal exposure EDAT- 2016/10/25 06:00 MHDA- 2017/05/06 06:00 CRDT- 2016/10/25 06:00 PHST- 2016/01/05 00:00 [received] PHST- 2016/10/09 00:00 [revised] PHST- 2016/10/13 00:00 [accepted] PHST- 2016/10/25 06:00 [pubmed] PHST- 2017/05/06 06:00 [medline] PHST- 2016/10/25 06:00 [entrez] AID - S0013-9351(16)30806-4 [pii] AID - 10.1016/j.envres.2016.10.011 [doi] PST - ppublish SO - Environ Res. 2017 Jan;152:369-374. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2016.10.011. Epub 2016 Oct 20.