Rejane Correa Marques
Federal University of Rio de Janeiro – Campus Macae, RJ, BRAZIL
Title: The Rondonia Study: mercury concentrations in children
Biography
Biography: Rejane Correa Marques
Abstract
Our longitudinal study evaluates the association between infant Hg exposure and neurodevelopment in 1433 children from Rondonia, Brazilian Amazonia. With people coming from different Brazilian regions, the present population has both traditional families that base their diets on fish and starchy foods and city dwellers with more cosmopolitan food habits. In this changing environment, we are investigating the growth and neurodevelopment of infants, using hair-Hg of mother (HHg) as a marker of prenatal exposure, and mothers and infants HHg and breast-milk Hg as a marker of postnatal Hg exposure. The study includes the heterogeneity of factors associated with changes in infant physiology and sources of Hg exposure: mothers (hair and lactation) and environment (food). We also examine the association between infant neurodevelopment and maternal socio-economic status and Hg exposure features. All pregnancies of mothers resident in municipalities of the Madeira River Basin with expected dates of delivery between 2006 and 2007 were eligible for the study. The newborns were clinically examined with special attention to vitality, perinatal reflexes, maturity, and congenital malformations, and Apgar scores were recorded. Children undergo detailed physical and neurobehavioral examination to evaluate the postnatal exposure at 6 months, 2 and 5 year-old. A questionnaire is applied to assess socioeconomic, educational status, food habits, and vaccine schedule and a sample of children hair is taken to verify mercury exposure. Anthropometric data were compared with data tabulated by World Health Organization. The child’s development was assessed using Bayley Scales of Infant Development and Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale