title: Traditional living in the Amazon: Extended breastfeeding, fish consumption, mercury exposure and neurodevelopment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Features of traditional living in the Amazon Basin (high fish consumption and long breastfeeding) are likely to expose children to Mercury (Hg).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study neurodevelopment in 690 children in relation to prolonged breastfeeding and mercury exposure.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three groups of breastfeeding children were formed: Group 1 (breastfed for 6 months), Group 2 (7-12 months) and Group 3 (extending up to 24 months). Neurodevelopment was assessed as age of walking, age of talking and the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-BSID. Mercury exposure was assessed from Thimerosal-containing vaccines and fish consumption from hair Hg (HHg).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HHg increased in children and decreased in mothers at 24 months. Frequency of fish consumption was significantly correlated with maternal HHg at birth (Spearman's r = 0.8583; p = 0.0001); likewise, there was a significant correlation between duration of breastfeeding and children's HHg (Spearman's r = 0.15; p = 0.0018). Extended breastfeeding did not influence the Mental Development Index-MDI or Psychomotor Development Index-PDI, but maternal education and HHg (marker of fish consumption) interacted positively and significantly with both. Frequency of maternal fish consumption and education had a positive association with BSID scores; it is speculated that maternal education and nutrients in fish have an opposing effect on Hg exposure.
authors.affiliation: a Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro , Rio de Janeiro , RJ , Brasil ;
authors.forename: Rejane C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Marques
authors.affiliation: b Statistika Consultoria , Campinas , SP , Brazil ;
authors.forename: Luciana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Abreu
authors.affiliation: c Universidade de Brasília , Brasília , DF , Brasil.
authors.forename: José V E
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Bernardi
authors.affiliation: c Universidade de Brasília , Brasília , DF , Brasil.
authors.forename: José G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Dórea
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D001942:Breast Feeding; D002657:Child Development; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005399:Fishes; D005843:Geography; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018811:Maternal Exposure; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis*; D009420:Nervous System / Q000254:growth & development*; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D008628:Mercury
keywords: Methylmercury; ethylmercury; hair; lactation; milestones