Epidemiology and Environmental Health Joint Research Unit, Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research in the Valencian Region, FISABIO-Public Health, FISABIO-Universitat Jaume I-Universitat de València, Av. Catalunya 21, 46020, Valencia, Spain.
Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Av. Monforte de Lemos, 3-5. Pabellón 11, 28029, Madrid, Spain.
Eur J Epidemiol. 2020 Mar;35(3):259-271. doi: 10.1007/s10654-020-00620-9. Epub 2020 Mar 13.
The objective of this study was to describe the postnatal exposure to Hg and to evaluate its association with neuropsychological development among preschool children. The study population are 4-5 years old children (n = 1252) participant in the Spanish INMA Project. Total Hg was measured in cord blood and in hair samples taken at 4 years of age (2008-2012). Neuropsychological development was assessed using the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities (MSCA). Information on covariates and possible confounders was obtained by questionnaires during pregnancy and childhood. Generalized additive and linear regression models were built in order to assess the relationship between MSCA scores and Hg exposure. We also evaluated the magnitude of the possible bias generated from measurement error in seafood intake estimate from questionnaire and Hg determination. The geometric mean of hair Hg was 0.98 µg/g [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.94, 1.03]. In the regression analysis, the association between Hg and the MSCA scores was positive for all the scales and statistically significant for the verbal (β = 0.89; 95%CI 0.38, 1.39), memory (β = 0.42; 95%CI 0.09, 0.76) and general cognitive scales (β = 1.35; 95%CI 0.45, 2.25). However, these associations were clearly attenuated when we adjusted by the children's fish intake variables or when took into account theoretical scenarios of low precision in fish intake and Hg measurements. Hg levels in this Spanish population were high in comparison with other European countries; however, we did not observe adverse effects on child neuropsychological development associated with this postnatal exposure to Hg.
本研究旨在描述儿童出生后汞暴露情况，并评估其与学龄前儿童神经心理发育的关系。研究对象为参加西班牙 INMA 项目的 4-5 岁儿童（n=1252）。在脐带血和 4 岁时（2008-2012 年）采集的头发样本中测量总汞。使用 McCarthy 儿童能力量表（MSCA）评估神经心理发育。通过妊娠和儿童期的问卷获取关于协变量和可能混杂因素的信息。为了评估 MSCA 评分与汞暴露之间的关系，建立了广义加性和线性回归模型。我们还评估了来自问卷的海鲜摄入量估计和 Hg 测定的测量误差可能产生的偏差幅度。头发汞的几何平均值为 0.98µg/g[95%置信区间（CI）0.94,1.03]。在回归分析中，Hg 与 MSCA 评分之间的关联在所有量表上均为正相关，且在言语（β=0.89；95%CI 0.38,1.39）、记忆（β=0.42；95%CI 0.09,0.76）和一般认知量表（β=1.35；95%CI 0.45,2.25）上具有统计学意义。然而，当我们调整儿童鱼类摄入量变量或考虑到鱼类摄入量和 Hg 测量精度低的理论情况时，这些关联明显减弱。与其他欧洲国家相比，西班牙人群的汞水平较高；然而，我们没有观察到这种出生后汞暴露对儿童神经心理发育的不良影响。
