This proposal is a competing renewal of Project #5-R01ES08442, entitled Developmental Toxicity of Methyl Mercury, testing the hypothesis that adverse developmental outcomes in children are associated with exposure to methyl mercury (MeHg) from consumption of a diet high in fish. Since 1989, the Seychelles Child Development Study (SCDS) has been following a cohort of 711 children born to mothers who consumed an average of 12 fishmeals per week during pregnancy. The children are now adolescents. The question of whether exposure to MeHg from fish consumption adversely affects child and adolescent development has aroused deepening public concern. The emphasis on prenatal exposures has left several important scientific questions unresolved. Exposure does not cease at birth, yet we know little about the long-term effects of postnatal dietary exposure to MeHg from fish consumption. Also, almost nothing is known about the contributions to long-term outcomes of combined prenatal and postnatal exposure to MeHg. The current proposal aims to determine the consequences of combined prenatal and postnatal exposure especially for long-term or delayed effects that might appear as the children mature. We will examine functions within three major developmental domains: complex cognition, sensory and neuromotor functions, and social behavioral outcomes in adolescence. The SCDS cohort will be examine once when they are 15 years old and the second when they are 17 years using a combination of psychological and neurological tests and surveys. Prenatal exposure to MeHg was determined by cold vapor atomic absorption from maternal hair collected at enrollment. We will continue to collect child hair at each visit (as has occurred for each of the past five visits) to estimate both average postnatal exposure across ages, and recent exposure. Multiple regression analyses will be used to assess associations between prenatal and postnatal exposure and each endpoint. If we find delayed neurotoxic effects of MeHg in adolescence, substantial or even radical modifications would be required in how we interpret associations between prenatal and postnatal exposure to MeHg and the trajectory of later health consequences.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01ES008442-06
Application #
7124669
Study Section
Epidemiology of Clinical Disorders and Aging Study Section (ECDA)
Program Officer
Kirshner, Annette G
Project Start
1997-08-01
Project End
2010-05-31
Budget Start
2006-06-01
Budget End
2007-05-31
Support Year
6
Fiscal Year
2006
Total Cost
$668,448
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Rochester
Department
Pediatrics
Type
Schools of Dentistry
DUNS #
041294109
City
Rochester
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
14627
Huang, Li-Shan; Cory-Slechta, Deborah A; Cox, Christopher et al. (2018) Analysis of Nonlinear Associations between Prenatal Methylmercury Exposure from Fish Consumption and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in the Seychelles Main Cohort at 17 Years. Stoch Environ Res Risk Assess 32:893-904
van Wijngaarden, Edwin; Thurston, Sally W; Myers, Gary J et al. (2017) Methyl mercury exposure and neurodevelopmental outcomes in the Seychelles Child Development Study Main cohort at age 22 and 24years. Neurotoxicol Teratol 59:35-42
Love, Tanzy Mt; Thurston, Sally W; Davidson, Philip W (2017) Finding vulnerable subpopulations in the Seychelles Child Development Study: effect modification with latent groups. Stat Methods Med Res 26:809-822
PĂ©riard, Daniel; Beqiraj, Bujar; Hayoz, Daniel et al. (2015) Associations of baroreflex sensitivity, heart rate variability, and initial orthostatic hypotension with prenatal and recent postnatal methylmercury exposure in the Seychelles Child Development Study at age 19 years. Int J Environ Res Public Health 12:3395-405
van Wijngaarden, Edwin; Harrington, Donald; Kobrosly, Roni et al. (2014) Prenatal exposure to methylmercury and LCPUFA in relation to birth weight. Ann Epidemiol 24:273-8
Orlando, Mark S; Dziorny, Adam C; Harrington, Donald et al. (2014) Associations between prenatal and recent postnatal methylmercury exposure and auditory function at age 19 years in the Seychelles Child Development Study. Neurotoxicol Teratol 46:68-76
Xiao, Luo; Thurston, Sally W; Ruppert, David et al. (2014) Bayesian Models for Multiple Outcomes in Domains with Application to the Seychelles Child Development Study. J Am Stat Assoc 109:1-10
Watson, Gene E; van Wijngaarden, Edwin; Love, Tanzy M T et al. (2013) Neurodevelopmental outcomes at 5 years in children exposed prenatally to maternal dental amalgam: the Seychelles Child Development Nutrition Study. Neurotoxicol Teratol 39:57-62
Lyngdoh, Tanica; Viswanathan, Bharathi; Kobrosly, Roni et al. (2013) Blood pressure and cognitive function: a prospective analysis among adolescents in Seychelles. J Hypertens 31:1175-82
van Wijngaarden, Edwin; Davidson, Philip W; Smith, Tristram H et al. (2013) Autism spectrum disorder phenotypes and prenatal exposure to methylmercury. Epidemiology 24:651-9

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