title: Fish consumption during pregnancy, prenatal mercury exposure, and anthropometric measures at birth in a prospective mother-infant cohort study in Spain.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Birth size has been shown to be related to maternal fish intake, although the results are inconsistent.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective was to assess the association of consumption of different types of fish and prenatal mercury exposure with birth weight, birth length, and classification as small for gestational age (SGA) in newborns.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cord blood total mercury was measured in 554 newborns in a population-based cohort born from 2004 to 2006. Fish consumption was classified in 4 frequency categories (<1 portion/mo, 1-3 portions/mo, 1 portion/wk, and > or =2 portions/wk).
  
  
  RESULTS
  When multivariate models were adjusted, newborns in the higher quartile of total mercury weighed 143.7 g less (95% CI: -251.8, -35.6; P for trend = 0.02) and had higher odds of being SGA for length (odds ratio: 5.3; 95% CI: 1.2, 23.9; P from likelihood ratio test = 0.03) without a linear relation (P for trend = 0.13) compared with those in the lowest quartile. Mothers consuming >/=2 portions/wk of canned tuna had newborns who weighed more than those who consumed <1 portion/mo (P for trend = 0.03) and a lower risk of having infants who were SGA for weight (P for trend = 0.01). Consumption of > or =2 portions/wk of large oily fish was associated with a higher risk of being SGA for weight and consumption of lean fish with a lower risk of being SGA for length compared with the consumption of <1 portion/mo, but in neither case was there a linear relation (P for trend >0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The role of fish in fetal growth depends on the amount and type of fish consumed. The findings for mercury warrant further investigation in other settings.
authors.affiliation: CIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Barcelona, Spain. ramon_rosbon@gva.es
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ramón
authors.forename: Ferran
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ballester
authors.forename: Xabier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Aguinagalde
authors.forename: Ascensión
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Amurrio
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vioque
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lacasaña
authors.forename: Marisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rebagliato
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Murcia
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Iñiguez
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001724:Birth Weight / Q000187:drug effects*; D004032:Diet; D004041:Dietary Fats; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry; D047109:Fetal Development / Q000187:drug effects; D005399:Fishes; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age; D018811:Maternal Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008628:Mercury / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011247:Pregnancy; D039401:Prenatal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D011446:Prospective Studies; D017747:Seafood / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013030:Spain
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D008628:Mercury