Main studies exploring health effects of low-dose prenatal mercury exposure
| STUDY LOCATION | DETAILS | ASSOCIATIONS WITH PRENATAL MERCURY EXPOSURE |
|---|---|---|
| Faroe Islands18,19 | More than 900 mother-child pairs; diet included PCB exposure (whale meat), but analyses controlled for PCBs | Memory, language, and attention deficits at age 7; fine motor, attention, visual-spatial, and verbal skill deficits at age 14 |
| New Zealand20 | 237 mother-infant pairs; varying fish consumption patterns during pregnancy (low to high) | Reduced performance in scholastic and psychological tests during early school years |
| Seychelles Islands21,22 | 779 mother-infant pairs; approximately 12 fish meals a week on average during pregnancy | Pilot study showed lower Denver Developmental Screening Test scores; main study showed no delays in developmental milestones or deficits in neurodevelopmental tests |
PCB—polychlorinated biphenyl.