Association between prenatal dietary methyl mercury exposure and developmental outcomes on acquisition of articulatory-phonologic skills in children in the Republic of Seychelles

Abstract

Methyl mercury (MeHg) is a neurotoxicant that with sufficient exposure can seriously impair the central nervous system and cause mental retardation, cerebral palsy, and neuromotor dysfunction. The level of exposure needed to adversely affect the nervous system is unknown. Human exposure to low levels of MeHg is common from consumption of fish. We examined the relationship between MeHg exposure and development of articulatory-phonologic speech skills in children whose mothers consumed a diet high in fish during pregnancy to determine whether any adverse associations could be detected. A total of 544 children from the Republic of Seychelles were given a speech assessment when they were 66 months of age. Exposure level was determined by measuring MeHg in maternal hair growing during pregnancy. No adverse associations between articulatory- phonologic speech skills and prenatal MeHg exposure were detected. The findings of this investigation are compatible with previous developmental assessments of Seychellois children that have indicated no adverse effects of prenatal MeHg exposure from fish consumption.