Prenatal mercury exposure, fish intake and child emotional behavioural regulation in the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study
Objective While maternal fish consumption in pregnancy has consistently been linked to better cognitive and emotional outcomes in children, fish is also a primary source of exposure to methyl mercury (MeHg), which has been linked to poorer child cognitive outcomes. The aim of this study was to evalu...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMJ Publishing Group
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| Series: | BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health |
| Online Access: | https://nutrition.bmj.com/content/early/2022/11/15/bmjnph-2021-000412.full |
| _version_ | 1811307755056660480 |
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| author | Mohammadreza Mohebbi Anne-Lise Brantsæter Jan Alexander Helle Margrete Meltzer Helle Katrine Knutsen Kristine Vejrup Margareta Haugen Felice Jacka |
| author_facet | Mohammadreza Mohebbi Anne-Lise Brantsæter Jan Alexander Helle Margrete Meltzer Helle Katrine Knutsen Kristine Vejrup Margareta Haugen Felice Jacka |
| author_sort | Mohammadreza Mohebbi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objective While maternal fish consumption in pregnancy has consistently been linked to better cognitive and emotional outcomes in children, fish is also a primary source of exposure to methyl mercury (MeHg), which has been linked to poorer child cognitive outcomes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the associations between MeHg exposure, using calculated MeHg exposure from maternal diet and total mercury (Hg) concentration in maternal blood during pregnancy, and child internalising and externalising behaviours at 3 and 5 years of age.Design and participants The study sample comprised 51 238 mother–child pairs in the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study. Data on maternal blood Hg concentration in gestational week 18 were available for a sub-sample of 2936 women. Maternal MeHg exposure from diet was calculated from a validated Food Frequency Questionnaire answered in mid-pregnancy. Mothers reported children’s emotional behaviour at age 3 and 5 years by questionnaires including twenty items from the Child Behaviour Checklist. Longitudinal associations were examined using generalised estimating equations, adjusted for potential confounders and stratified by maternal fish intake.Results Maternal blood Hg concentration (median=1.02 µg/L, 90th percentile=2.22, range=0–13.8) was not associated with emotional behaviour in children. Increasing dietary MeHg intake (median 0.15 µg/kg body weight/week, 90th percentiles=0.31, range=0–1.86) was significantly associated with lower internalising β=−0.03 (95% CI −0.05 to –0.00) and externalising child behaviours β=−0.04 (95% CI −0.07 to –0.02) in adjusted models. The inverse associations were also apparent when stratifying by low/high maternal fish intake (<400 and ≥400 g/week).Conclusions The results indicated that prenatal MeHg exposure, well below the weekly tolerable intake established by European Food Safety Authority (1.3 µg/kg bw), did not adversely affect child emotional regulation. Children of mothers consuming fish regularly were less likely to show signs of emotional behavioural problems. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T09:11:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-75a1a93612a14393a0d4d796aa17f08f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2516-5542 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T09:11:20Z |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-75a1a93612a14393a0d4d796aa17f08f2022-12-22T02:52:53ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health2516-554210.1136/bmjnph-2021-000412Prenatal mercury exposure, fish intake and child emotional behavioural regulation in the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort StudyMohammadreza Mohebbi0Anne-Lise Brantsæter1Jan Alexander2Helle Margrete Meltzer3Helle Katrine Knutsen4Kristine Vejrup5Margareta Haugen6Felice Jacka7Biostatistics Unit, Deakin University Faculty of Health, Burwood, Victoria, AustraliaDivision of Climate and Environmental Health, Department of Food Safety, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, NorwayDivision of Climate and Environmental Health, Department of Food Safety, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, NorwayDivision of Climate and Environmental Health, Department of Food Safety, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, NorwayDivision of Climate and Environmental Health, Department of Food Safety, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, NorwayCenter for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, NorwayDivision of Climate and Environmental Health, Department of Food Safety, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, NorwayInstitute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, Food & Mood Centre, School of Medicine, Barwon Health, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, AustraliaObjective While maternal fish consumption in pregnancy has consistently been linked to better cognitive and emotional outcomes in children, fish is also a primary source of exposure to methyl mercury (MeHg), which has been linked to poorer child cognitive outcomes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the associations between MeHg exposure, using calculated MeHg exposure from maternal diet and total mercury (Hg) concentration in maternal blood during pregnancy, and child internalising and externalising behaviours at 3 and 5 years of age.Design and participants The study sample comprised 51 238 mother–child pairs in the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study. Data on maternal blood Hg concentration in gestational week 18 were available for a sub-sample of 2936 women. Maternal MeHg exposure from diet was calculated from a validated Food Frequency Questionnaire answered in mid-pregnancy. Mothers reported children’s emotional behaviour at age 3 and 5 years by questionnaires including twenty items from the Child Behaviour Checklist. Longitudinal associations were examined using generalised estimating equations, adjusted for potential confounders and stratified by maternal fish intake.Results Maternal blood Hg concentration (median=1.02 µg/L, 90th percentile=2.22, range=0–13.8) was not associated with emotional behaviour in children. Increasing dietary MeHg intake (median 0.15 µg/kg body weight/week, 90th percentiles=0.31, range=0–1.86) was significantly associated with lower internalising β=−0.03 (95% CI −0.05 to –0.00) and externalising child behaviours β=−0.04 (95% CI −0.07 to –0.02) in adjusted models. The inverse associations were also apparent when stratifying by low/high maternal fish intake (<400 and ≥400 g/week).Conclusions The results indicated that prenatal MeHg exposure, well below the weekly tolerable intake established by European Food Safety Authority (1.3 µg/kg bw), did not adversely affect child emotional regulation. Children of mothers consuming fish regularly were less likely to show signs of emotional behavioural problems.https://nutrition.bmj.com/content/early/2022/11/15/bmjnph-2021-000412.full |
| spellingShingle | Mohammadreza Mohebbi Anne-Lise Brantsæter Jan Alexander Helle Margrete Meltzer Helle Katrine Knutsen Kristine Vejrup Margareta Haugen Felice Jacka Prenatal mercury exposure, fish intake and child emotional behavioural regulation in the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health |
| title | Prenatal mercury exposure, fish intake and child emotional behavioural regulation in the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study |
| title_full | Prenatal mercury exposure, fish intake and child emotional behavioural regulation in the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study |
| title_fullStr | Prenatal mercury exposure, fish intake and child emotional behavioural regulation in the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Prenatal mercury exposure, fish intake and child emotional behavioural regulation in the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study |
| title_short | Prenatal mercury exposure, fish intake and child emotional behavioural regulation in the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study |
| title_sort | prenatal mercury exposure fish intake and child emotional behavioural regulation in the norwegian mother father and child cohort study |
| url | https://nutrition.bmj.com/content/early/2022/11/15/bmjnph-2021-000412.full |
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