title: Prenatal exposure to mercury in a prospective mother-infant cohort study in a Mediterranean area, Valencia, Spain.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mercury (Hg) is a ubiquitous pollutant that negatively affects fetal and child neurodevelopment at accidental high-dose exposure. Some studies indicate that Mediterranean populations could be at risk of prenatal exposure to mercury through fish consumption.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the prenatal exposure to total mercury (T-Hg), both inorganic and organic, in newborns by analyzing the T-Hg concentration in cord blood, and to evaluate the role of maternal fish consumption in this exposure.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the context of a multi-center project (INMA project), a prospective birth cohort was set up in Valencia, Spain, from 2005 to 2006. A total of 253 newborns were included in this study. We compared cord blood T-Hg concentration by levels of fish intake assessed by a food frequency questionnaire completed at 28-32 weeks of gestation. Maternal covariates were obtained through a questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The geometric mean of T-Hg at birth was 9.9 microg/L (95% CI: 9.0, 10.8). Seventy five percent of cord blood samples were above the estimated level assumed to be without appreciable harm (5.8 microg/L). Women who consumed a portion of large oily fish, lean fish, or mixed fried fish two or more times per week had mean cord blood levels 1.6, 1.4 and 1.3 times higher, respectively, than those who rarely or never consumed fish. Other factors such as the mother's age, country of origin, smoking and season of delivery were also significantly and independently associated with cord blood T-Hg concentrations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Newborns from a Mediterranean area presented elevated levels of T-Hg in cord blood. Higher concentrations of T-Hg were related to maternal fish intake, particularly in the case of large oily fish species.
authors.affiliation: CIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain. ramon_rosbon@gva.es
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ramón
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Murcia
authors.forename: Ferran
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ballester
authors.forename: Marisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rebagliato
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lacasaña
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vioque
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Llop
authors.forename: Ascensión
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Amurrio
authors.forename: Xabier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Aguinagalde
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marco
authors.forename: Gemma
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: León
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ibarluzea
authors.forename: Núria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ribas-Fitó
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018811:Maternal Exposure; D008628:Mercury / Q000633:toxicity*; D011247:Pregnancy; D013030:Spain
chemical_list: D008628:Mercury