OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of prenatal mercury exposure and fish intake with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-related behavior. METHODS: For a population-based prospective birth cohort recruited in New Bedford, Massachusetts (1993-1998), we analyzed data for children examined at age 8 years with peripartum maternal hair mercury measures (n = 421) or maternal report of fish consumption during pregnancy (n = 515). Inattentive and impulsive/hyperactive behaviors were assessed using a teacher rating scale and neuropsychological testing. RESULTS: The median maternal hair mercury level was 0.45 μg/g (range, 0.03-5.14 μg/g), and 52% of mothers consumed more than 2 fish servings weekly. In multivariable regression models, mercury exposure was associated with inattention and impulsivity/hyperactivity; some outcomes had an apparent threshold with associations at 1 μg/g or greater of mercury. For example, at 1 μg/g or greater, the adjusted risk ratios for mild/markedly atypical inattentive and impulsive/hyperactive behaviors were 1.4 (95% CI, 1.0-1.8) and 1.7 (95% CI, 1.2-2.4), respectively, for an interquartile range (0.5 μg/g) mercury increase; there was no confounding by fish consumption. For neuropsychological assessments, mercury and behavior associations were detected primarily for boys. There was a protective association for fish consumption (>2 servings per week) with ADHD-related behaviors, particularly impulsive/hyperactive behaviors (relative risk = 0.4; 95% CI, 0.2-0.6). CONCLUSIONS: Low-level prenatal mercury exposure is associated with a greater risk of ADHD-related behaviors, and fish consumption during pregnancy is protective of these behaviors. These findings underscore the difficulties of balancing the benefits of fish intake with the detriments of low-level mercury exposure in developing dietary recommendations in pregnancy.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of prenatal mercury exposure and fish intake with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-related behavior. METHODS: For a population-based prospective birth cohort recruited in New Bedford, Massachusetts (1993-1998), we analyzed data for children examined at age 8 years with peripartum maternal hair mercury measures (n = 421) or maternal report of fish consumption during pregnancy (n = 515). Inattentive and impulsive/hyperactive behaviors were assessed using a teacher rating scale and neuropsychological testing. RESULTS: The median maternal hair mercury level was 0.45 μg/g (range, 0.03-5.14 μg/g), and 52% of mothers consumed more than 2 fish servings weekly. In multivariable regression models, mercury exposure was associated with inattention and impulsivity/hyperactivity; some outcomes had an apparent threshold with associations at 1 μg/g or greater of mercury. For example, at 1 μg/g or greater, the adjusted risk ratios for mild/markedly atypical inattentive and impulsive/hyperactive behaviors were 1.4 (95% CI, 1.0-1.8) and 1.7 (95% CI, 1.2-2.4), respectively, for an interquartile range (0.5 μg/g) mercury increase; there was no confounding by fish consumption. For neuropsychological assessments, mercury and behavior associations were detected primarily for boys. There was a protective association for fish consumption (>2 servings per week) with ADHD-related behaviors, particularly impulsive/hyperactive behaviors (relative risk = 0.4; 95% CI, 0.2-0.6). CONCLUSIONS: Low-level prenatal mercury exposure is associated with a greater risk of ADHD-related behaviors, and fish consumption during pregnancy is protective of these behaviors. These findings underscore the difficulties of balancing the benefits of fish intake with the detriments of low-level mercury exposure in developing dietary recommendations in pregnancy.
Authors: P Grandjean; P Weihe; V W Burse; L L Needham; E Storr-Hansen; B Heinzow; F Debes; K Murata; H Simonsen; P Ellefsen; E Budtz-Jørgensen; N Keiding; R F White Journal: Neurotoxicol Teratol Date: 2001 Jul-Aug Impact factor: 3.763
Authors: F Bakir; S F Damluji; L Amin-Zaki; M Murtadha; A Khalidi; N Y al-Rawi; S Tikriti; H I Dahahir; T W Clarkson; J C Smith; R A Doherty Journal: Science Date: 1973-07-20 Impact factor: 47.728
Authors: Sharon K Sagiv; Sally W Thurston; David C Bellinger; Paige E Tolbert; Larisa M Altshul; Susan A Korrick Journal: Am J Epidemiol Date: 2010-01-27 Impact factor: 4.897
Authors: Margaret R Karagas; Anna L Choi; Emily Oken; Milena Horvat; Rita Schoeny; Elizabeth Kamai; Whitney Cowell; Philippe Grandjean; Susan Korrick Journal: Environ Health Perspect Date: 2012-01-24 Impact factor: 9.031
Authors: Lindsey J Butler; Patricia A Janulewicz; Jenny L Carwile; Roberta F White; Michael R Winter; Ann Aschengrau Journal: Neurotoxicol Teratol Date: 2017-03-03 Impact factor: 3.763
Authors: Sharon K Sagiv; Katherine Kogut; Fraser W Gaspar; Robert B Gunier; Kim G Harley; Kimberly Parra; Diana Villaseñor; Asa Bradman; Nina Holland; Brenda Eskenazi Journal: Neurotoxicol Teratol Date: 2015-08-10 Impact factor: 3.763
Authors: Melissa Furlong; Amy H Herring; Barbara D Goldman; Julie L Daniels; Mary S Wolff; Lawrence S Engel; Stephanie M Engel Journal: Child Psychiatry Hum Dev Date: 2018-08
Authors: Yi Hu; Limei Chen; Caifeng Wang; Yijun Zhou; Yan Zhang; Yiwen Wang; Rong Shi; Yu Gao; Ying Tian Journal: Environ Sci Pollut Res Int Date: 2016-03-11 Impact factor: 4.223
Authors: Edwin van Wijngaarden; Sally W Thurston; Gary J Myers; Donald Harrington; Deborah A Cory-Slechta; J J Strain; Gene E Watson; Grazyna Zareba; Tanzy Love; Juliette Henderson; Conrad F Shamlaye; Philip W Davidson Journal: Neurotoxicol Teratol Date: 2016-10-28 Impact factor: 3.763
Authors: Omamuyovwi M Ijomone; Olayemi K Ijomone; Joy D Iroegbu; Chibuzor W Ifenatuoha; Nzube F Olung; Michael Aschner Journal: Neurotoxicology Date: 2020-09-01 Impact factor: 4.294