Department of Neurology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA.
Department of Pediatrics, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA.
Neurotoxicology. 2020 Dec;81:331-338. doi: 10.1016/j.neuro.2020.09.025. Epub 2020 Oct 14.
Methyl mercury (MeHg) is neurotoxic and all fish contain at least trace amounts. Consequently, prenatal or fetal exposure occurs when pregnant women consume fish and children are exposed postnatally when they breastfeed or consume fish. However, the level of exposure at which toxicity occurs is presently unknown. Since behavioural endpoints can be sensitive indicators of toxic exposure, we administered the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) to measure behaviour as part of a prospective, longitudinal, double blind study (n=779) of prenatal MeHg exposure, the Seychelles Child Development Study (SCDS). The CBCL Total T score was a primary endpoint at 66 and 107 month evaluations of the cohort and showed no association with prenatal or postnatal MeHg exposure. This paper reports the results of a secondary analysis of the CBCL subscales to see if specific aspects of behaviour might show associations. The SCDS main cohort was enrolled in 1989-90 and evaluated on five occasions through 107 months of age. The child's primary caregiver completed the CBCL at the 107 month evaluation. Prenatal exposure was determined by measuring total mercury (THg) in maternal hair growing during pregnancy and recent postnatal exposure by analysing the child's hair taken at the 107 month evaluation. Analysis included linear and nonlinear multiple regression models. For prenatal MeHg exposure, the Social Problems subscale was significantly associated and the Somatic Complaints subscale was marginally associated. Both were beneficial associations. For postnatal exposure the Thought Problems subscale was associated in an adverse direction. This secondary analysis identified a small number of subtle beneficial and adverse associations with prenatal and postnatal MeHg exposure for specific CBCL subscales. These analyses provide no evidence for an adverse effect of prenatal exposure. The adverse postnatal association is difficult to interpret because we measured only recent (about one month) exposure and no adjustment was made for the multiplicity of endpoints.
甲基汞（MeHg）具有神经毒性，所有鱼类至少都含有痕量甲基汞。因此，当孕妇食用鱼类时，胎儿会在产前或胎儿期受到暴露，而当儿童在哺乳期或食用鱼类时，他们会在产后受到暴露。然而，目前尚不清楚发生毒性的暴露水平。由于行为终点可能是有毒暴露的敏感指标，我们在一项前瞻性、纵向、双盲研究（n=779）中使用儿童行为检查表（CBCL）来测量行为，该研究评估了产前甲基汞暴露对塞舌尔儿童发展研究（SCDS）的影响。CBCL 总分是队列在 66 和 107 个月评估时的主要终点，与产前或产后甲基汞暴露无关。本文报告了对 CBCL 分量表进行二次分析的结果，以观察行为的特定方面是否可能存在关联。SCDS 主要队列于 1989-1990 年入组，并在 107 个月龄时进行了五次评估。在 107 个月龄评估时，孩子的主要照顾者完成了 CBCL。产前暴露是通过测量妊娠期间生长的母亲头发中的总汞（THg）来确定的，最近的产后暴露是通过分析 107 个月龄评估时孩子的头发来确定的。分析包括线性和非线性多回归模型。对于产前甲基汞暴露，社会问题分量表呈显著相关，躯体抱怨分量表呈边缘相关。两者都是有益的关联。对于产后暴露，思维问题分量表呈不利方向相关。这项二次分析确定了与特定 CBCL 分量表的产前和产后甲基汞暴露有关的少量微妙的有益和不利关联。这些分析没有提供产前暴露不利影响的证据。由于我们仅测量了最近（约一个月）的暴露，并且没有对终点的多重性进行调整，因此，产后的不利关联难以解释。
