Gao Yu, Yan Chong-Huai, Tian Ying, Wang Yu, Xie Han-Fang, Zhou Xin, Yu Xiao-Dan, Yu Xiao-Gang, Tong Shilu, Zhou Qing-Xin, Shen Xiao-Ming
XinHua Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Institute for Pediatric Research, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Shanghai 200092, China.
Environ Res. 2007 Nov;105(3):390-9. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2007.05.015. Epub 2007 Jul 25.
Exposure to hazardous Hg can adversely affect children's neurodevelopment. However, few data are available on either Hg levels in neonates and their mothers or the impact of prenatal exposure to Hg on neonates' neurobehavioral development in the Chinese population. Therefore, this study examined Hg levels in neonates and their mothers and the relationship between prenatal exposure to Hg and neonates' neurobehavioral development in Zhoushan City, Zhejiang Province, China. Between August and October 2004, 417 women who delivered their babies at Zhoushan Women's and Children's Health Hospital, an island city in east China were invited to take part in this study. A total of 408 complete questionnaires, 405 maternal hair samples, and 406 umbilical cord samples were collected. Neonatal behavioral neurological assessments (NBNA) were conducted for 384 neonates. The geometric mean (GM) of Hg level in cord blood was 5.58 microg/L (interquartile range: 3.96-7.82 microg/L), and the GM of maternal hair Hg level was 1246.56 microg/kg (interquartile range: 927.34-1684.67 microg/kg), a level much lower than other reported fish-eating populations, indicating Hg exposure in Zhoushan city is generally below those considered hazardous. However, according to the reference dose of Hg levels (RfD 5.8 microg/L) derived by EPA, 69.9% of newborns had levels at or above the RfD, an estimated level assumed to be without appreciable harm. There was a strong correlation between maternal hair and cord blood Hg levels (r = 0.82, P < 0.01). Frequency of fish consumption was associated with hair Hg (r = 0.48, P < 0.01) and cord blood Hg levels (r = 0.54, P < 0.01). Increased prenatal Hg exposure was associated with decreased behavioral ability for males (OR = 1.235, 95%CI of OR = 1.078-1.414, P < 0.001), but not for females. Our results provide some support for the hypothesis that there is neurodevelopmental risk for males from prenatal MeHg exposure resulting from fish consumption. But the findings of this study may be due to chance, and long-term follow-up research is needed to evaluate cumulative effects of exposure to mercury.
接触有害汞会对儿童的神经发育产生不利影响。然而，关于中国人群中新生儿及其母亲的汞水平，以及产前汞暴露对新生儿神经行为发育的影响，相关数据较少。因此，本研究调查了中国浙江省舟山市新生儿及其母亲的汞水平，以及产前汞暴露与新生儿神经行为发育之间的关系。2004年8月至10月期间，邀请了在中国东部海岛城市舟山妇女儿童医院分娩的417名妇女参与本研究。共收集到408份完整问卷、405份母亲头发样本和406份脐带样本。对384名新生儿进行了新生儿行为神经评定（NBNA）。脐血汞水平的几何均值（GM）为5.58微克/升（四分位间距：3.96 - 7.82微克/升），母亲头发汞水平的GM为1246.56微克/千克（四分位间距：927.34 - 1684.67微克/千克），该水平远低于其他报道的食鱼人群，表明舟山市的汞暴露总体低于被认为有害的水平。然而，根据美国环境保护局（EPA）得出的汞水平参考剂量（RfD 5.8微克/升），69.9%的新生儿汞水平达到或高于RfD，这一估计水平被认为无明显危害。母亲头发和脐血汞水平之间存在很强的相关性（r = 0.82，P < 0.01）。鱼类消费频率与头发汞（r = 0.48，P < 0.01）和脐血汞水平（r = 0.54，P < 0.01）相关。产前汞暴露增加与男性行为能力下降相关（比值比（OR）= 1.235，OR的95%置信区间为1.078 - 1.414，P < 0.001），但与女性无关。我们的结果为以下假设提供了一些支持，即食用鱼类导致的产前甲基汞暴露会给男性带来神经发育风险。但本研究的结果可能是偶然的，需要长期随访研究来评估汞暴露的累积影响。
