PMID- 30776746 OWN - NLM STAT- MEDLINE DCOM- 20191028 LR - 20201016 IS - 1873-6750 (Electronic) IS - 0160-4120 (Linking) VI - 126 DP - 2019 May TI - Relation of prenatal low-level mercury exposure with early child neurobehavioral development and exploration of the effects of sex and DHA on it. PG - 14-23 LID - S0160-4120(18)31941-X [pii] LID - 10.1016/j.envint.2019.02.012 [doi] AB - BACKGROUND: The extent to which low-level, in utero mercury exposure affects child neurobehavioral development during early childhood has been inconclusive. In addition, the effects of sex and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on these relationships remain unclear and controversial. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore the associations between prenatal low-level mercury exposure and child neurobehavioral development during the neonatal and toddler periods and to examine the potential confounding or interactive effects of sex and DHA status on these relationships. METHODS: This longitudinal study included 286 mother-child pairs in Shanghai, China, whose cord blood samples were analyzed for total mercury, DHA, other nutrients and coexposure contaminants possibly due to maternal consumption of seafood. Children's neurobehavioral development was assessed with the Neonatal Behavioral Neurological Assessment (NBNA) three days after birth and the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition (BSID-III) at 18 months of age. RESULTS: Cord blood mercury concentration, with geometric mean of 2.00 mug/l, was related to poorer NBNA performance but unrelated to BSID-III scores with adjustment for DHA and other covariates. Cord serum DHA was positively associated with motor development assessed by the BSID-III. The interaction was found between mercury and DHA on the NBNA score, and the inverse relation of cord blood mercury with NBNA was significant only among the children with lower DHA levels (<45.54 mug/ml). Additional adjustment for DHA didn't change the associations between cord blood mercury and neurodevelopmental outcomes substantially. The mercury by sex interaction for language of BSID-III was borderline significant. CONCLUSIONS: Our research provides initial evidence for the negative effects of prenatal low-level mercury exposure on neonates' neurobehavioral development. Prenatal DHA status may modify the relationship between cord blood mercury level and neonatal neurobehavioral development, but the confounding effects of DHA were not observed. Further studies are warranted before the causality of the observed associations can be determined. CI - Copyright (c) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. FAU - Wang, Ju AU - Wang J AD - School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; Ministry of Education-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA. FAU - Wu, Wei AU - Wu W AD - Qilu Children's Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China. FAU - Li, Hui AU - Li H AD - Jining No.1 People's Hospital, Jining, Shandong, China. FAU - Cao, Lulu AU - Cao L AD - Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. FAU - Wu, Meiqin AU - Wu M AD - Ministry of Education-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. FAU - Liu, Junxia AU - Liu J AD - Ministry of Education-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. FAU - Gao, Zhenyan AU - Gao Z AD - Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai, China. FAU - Zhou, Cancan AU - Zhou C AD - Ministry of Education-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. FAU - Liu, Jianghong AU - Liu J AD - School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA. Electronic address: jhliu@nursing.upenn.edu. FAU - Yan, Chonghuai AU - Yan C AD - Ministry of Education-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. Electronic address: yanchonghuai@xinhuamed.com.cn. LA - eng PT - Journal Article PT - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't DEP - 20190215 PL - Netherlands TA - Environ Int JT - Environment international JID - 7807270 RN - 25167-62-8 (Docosahexaenoic Acids) RN - FXS1BY2PGL (Mercury) SB - IM MH - Child Development/drug effects MH - China MH - Docosahexaenoic Acids/blood MH - Female MH - Fetal Blood/chemistry MH - Humans MH - Infant MH - Longitudinal Studies MH - Male MH - Mercury MH - Mercury Poisoning MH - Pregnancy MH - Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects/*chemically induced MH - Sex Characteristics OTO - NOTNLM OT - Child neurobehavioral development OT - DHA OT - Low-level mercury OT - Neurodevelopment OT - Sex EDAT- 2019/02/19 06:00 MHDA- 2019/10/29 06:00 CRDT- 2019/02/19 06:00 PHST- 2018/08/28 00:00 [received] PHST- 2019/02/03 00:00 [revised] PHST- 2019/02/03 00:00 [accepted] PHST- 2019/02/19 06:00 [pubmed] PHST- 2019/10/29 06:00 [medline] PHST- 2019/02/19 06:00 [entrez] AID - S0160-4120(18)31941-X [pii] AID - 10.1016/j.envint.2019.02.012 [doi] PST - ppublish SO - Environ Int. 2019 May;126:14-23. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2019.02.012. Epub 2019 Feb 15.