title: [The effects of methylmercury on health in children and adults; national and international studies].
abstract: The benefit of fish consumption in children and adults is well-known. However, it has been pointed out that excessive methylmercury intake due to consumption of contaminated fish leads to neurological toxicity in children, affecting cognitive function, memory, visual-motor function and language. After the intoxications in Minamata and Iraq, wide-ranging epidemiological studies were carried out in New Zealand, the Faroe Islands and the Seychelles and international recommendations were established for fish consumption in pregnant women and small children. In Spain, the Childhood and Environmental project (INMA, its Spanish acronym) has studied the effects of diet and the environment on fetal and childhood development in different geographic areas of Spain. National and international sudies have demonstrated that mercury concentrations are mainly dependent on fish consumption, although there are variations among countries which can be explained not only by the levels of fish consumption, but also by the type or species of fish that is consumed, as well as other factors. Although the best documented adverse effects of methylmercury are the effects on nervous sytem development in fetuses and newborns, an increasing number of studies indicate that cognitive function, reproduction and, especially, cardiovascular risk in the adult population can also be affected. However, more studies are necessary in order to confirm this and establish the existance of a causal relationship.
authors.affiliation: Hospital Clínico San Carlos. Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IdISSC). Madrid. España.. montse@cmpx.net.
authors.forename: Montserrat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: González-Estecha
authors.affiliation: Asociación de Educación para la Salud (ADEPS)..
authors.forename: Andrés
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bodas-Pinedo
authors.affiliation: Sociedad Española de Endocrinología y Nutrición (SEEN)..
authors.forename: Miguel Ángel
authors.initials: MÁ
authors.lastname: Rubio-Herrera
authors.affiliation: Sociedad Española de Hipertensión-Liga Española para la Lucha contra la Hipertensión Arterial (SEH-LELHA)..
authors.forename: Nieves
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Martell-Claros
authors.affiliation: Sociedad Española de Bioquímica Clínica y Patología Molecular (SEQC)..
authors.forename: Elena M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Trasobares-Iglesias
authors.affiliation: Sociedad Española de Salud Pública y Administración Sanitaria (SESPAS)..
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ordóñez-Iriarte
authors.affiliation: Sociedad Española de Sanidad Ambiental (SESA)..
authors.forename: José Jesús
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Guillén-Pérez
authors.affiliation: Sociedad Española de Ginecología y Obstetricia. Sección de Medicina Perinatal (SEMEPE-SEGO)..
authors.forename: Miguel Ángel
authors.initials: MÁ
authors.lastname: Herráiz-Martínez
authors.affiliation: Sociedad Española de Hipertensión-Liga Española para la Lucha contra la Hipertensión Arterial (SEH-LELHA)..
authors.forename: José Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: García-Donaire
authors.affiliation: Federación Española de Sociedades de Nutrición, Alimentación y Dietética (FESNAD)..
authors.forename: Rosaura
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Farré-Rovira
authors.affiliation: Sociedad de Medicina Interna de Madrid- Castilla la Mancha (SOMIMACA)..
authors.forename: Elpidio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Calvo-Manuel
authors.affiliation: Sociedad Española de Dietética y Ciencias de la Alimentación (SEDCA)..
authors.forename: Jesús Román
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Martínez-Álvarez
authors.affiliation: Sociedad Española de Bioquímica Clínica y Patología Molecular (SEQC)..
authors.forename: M Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Llorente-Ballesteros
authors.affiliation: Sociedad de Medicina Interna de Madrid- Castilla la Mancha (SOMIMACA)..
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sáinz-Martín
authors.affiliation: Sociedad Española de Ginecología y Obstetricia. Sección de Medicina Perinatal (SEMEPE-SEGO)..
authors.forename: Txantón
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Martínez-Astorquiza
authors.affiliation: Sociedad Española de Sanidad Ambiental (SESA)..
authors.forename: M José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Martínez-García
authors.affiliation: Sociedad Española de Endocrinología y Nutrición (SEEN)..
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bretón Lesmes
authors.affiliation: Asociación Española de Biopatología Médica (AEBM)..
authors.forename: M Ángeles
authors.initials: MÁ
authors.lastname: Cuadrado-Cenzual
authors.affiliation: Asociación Española de Biopatología Médica (AEBM)..
authors.forename: Santiago
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Prieto-Menchero
authors.affiliation: Asociación de Educación para la Salud (ADEPS)..
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gallardo-Pino
authors.affiliation: Sociedad Española de Dietética y Ciencias de la Alimentación (SEDCA)..
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Moreno-Rojas
authors.affiliation: Sociedad Española de Bioquímica Clínica y Patología Molecular (SEQC)..
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bermejo-Barrera
authors.affiliation: Federación Española de Sociedades de Nutrición, Alimentación y Dietética (FESNAD)..
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Torres-Moreno
authors.affiliation: Hospital Clínico San Carlos. Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IdISSC). Madrid. España..
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arroyo-Fernández
authors.affiliation: Hospital Clínico San Carlos. Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IdISSC). Madrid. España..
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Calle-Pascual
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005399:Fishes; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008630:Mercury Poisoning / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds / Q000506:poisoning / Q000633:toxicity*; D011247:Pregnancy; D017747:Seafood / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D008767:Methylmercury Compounds