Fatty Acids in Fish Offset the Risk of Prenatal Mercury Exposure on Child Development

In the Seychelles residents consume 10 times as much seafood as do Australians and Europeans, making it an ideal place to study the long-term impact of mercury exposure via seafood.

The scientists followed more than 1,500 mothers and their children. During pregnancy hair samples from the women were collected to assess the levels of prenatal mercury exposure. The researchers also measured the polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) status in the pregnant women. At 20 months after birth, the children underwent a range of tests designed to measure their communication skills, behaviour and motor skills.

No correlation between mercury exposure and lower test scores was found. Higher maternal omega-3 PUFA with increasing mercury exposure was still associated with improved test scores. Interestingly, higher omega-6/omega-3 ratios were linked to poorer outcomes.

The researchers conclude that high fish consumption by pregnant women does not cause developmental problems in children. However, maternal omega-6/omega-3 ratio is an important marker that appears to modify the association of prenatal mercury exposure with the psychomotor development in children.

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Source:www.imgateway.net/admin/index.jsp, Thursday 9 April 2015