This Article  • Full text  • PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Citing articles on ISI (223)  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Related article  • Similar articles in JAMA  Topic Collections  • Pediatrics  • Child Development  • Alert me on articles by topic

Outcomes at 66 Months of Age in the Seychelles Child Development Study

Philip W. Davidson, PhD; Gary J. Myers, MD; Christopher Cox, PhD; Catherine Axtell, PhD; Conrad Shamlaye, MB, ChB; Jean Sloane-Reeves, MS; Elsa Cernichiari, MS; Larry Needham, PhD; Anna Choi, MS; Yining Wang, PhD; Maths Berlin, MD; Thomas W. Clarkson, PhD

JAMA. 1998;280:701-707.

Context.— Human neurodevelopmental consequences of exposure to methylmercury (MeHg) from eating fish remain a question of public health concern.

Objective.— To study the association between MeHg exposure and the developmental outcomes of children in the Republic of Seychelles at 66 months of age.

Design.— A prospective longitudinal cohort study.

Participants.— A total of 711 of 779 cohort mother-child pairs initially enrolled in the Seychelles Child Development Study in 1989.

Setting.— The Republic of Seychelles, an archipelago in the Indian Ocean where 85% of the population consumes ocean fish daily.

Main Outcome Measures.— Prenatal and postnatal MeHg exposure and 6 age-appropriate neurodevelopmental tests: the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities, the Preschool Language Scale, the Woodcock-Johnson Applied Problems and Letter and Word Recognition Tests of Achievement, the Bender Gestalt test, and the Child Behavior Checklist.

Results.— The mean maternal hair total mercury level was 6.8 ppm and the mean child hair total mercury level at age 66 months was 6.5 ppm. No adverse outcomes at 66 months were associated with either prenatal or postnatal MeHg exposure.

Conclusion.— In the population studied, consumption of a diet high in ocean fish appears to pose no threat to developmental outcomes through 66 months of age.

From the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY (Drs Davidson, Myers, Cox, Axtell, Wang, and Clarkson, and Mss Sloane-Reeves, Cernichiari and Choi); the Republic of Seychelles Ministry of Health, Victoria, Mahé, Seychelles (Dr Shamlaye); the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Ga (Dr Needham); and The University of Lund, Lund, Sweden (Dr Berlin).

RELATED ARTICLE

Methylmercury Exposure and Neurotoxicity
Kathryn R. Mahaffey
JAMA. 1998;280(8):737-738.
EXTRACT | FULL TEXT  

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Mercury, Vaccines, and Autism: One Controversy, Three Histories
Baker
Am. J. Public Health 2008;98:244-253.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Role of Docosahexaenoic Acid in Modulating Methylmercury-Induced Neurotoxicity
Kaur et al.
Toxicol Sci 2007;100:423-432.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Nutrient and Methyl Mercury Exposure from Consuming Fish
Myers et al.
J. Nutr. 2007;137:2805-2808.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Early Thimerosal Exposure and Neuropsychological Outcomes at 7 to 10 Years
Thompson et al.
NEJM 2007;357:1281-1292.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Risk assessment of dietary exposure to methylmercury in fish in the UK
Maycock and Benford
Hum Exp Toxicol 2007;26:185-190.
ABSTRACT  

Interpreting Hair Mercury Levels in Individual Patients
Nuttall
Annals of Clinical & Laboratory Science 2006;36:248-261.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

The Effects of Methylmercury on Mitochondrial Function and Reactive Oxygen Species Formation in Rat Striatal Synaptosomes Are Age-Dependent
Dreiem et al.
Toxicol Sci 2005;87:156-162.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Human Biomonitoring to Optimize Fish Consumption Advice: Reducing Uncertainty When Evaluating Benefits and Risks
Arnold et al.
Am. J. Public Health 2005;95:393-397.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Spatial Alternation Deficits Following Developmental Exposure to Aroclor 1254 and/or Methylmercury in Rats
Widholm et al.
Toxicol Sci 2004;82:577-589.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Mercury Exposure in Children With Autistic Spectrum Disorder: Case-Control Study
Ip et al.
J Child Neurol 2004;19:431-434.
ABSTRACT  

Environmental toxins; their impact on children's health
Grigg
Arch. Dis. Child. 2004;89:244-250.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Motor Impairment in Rats Exposed to PCBs and Methylmercury during Early Development
Roegge et al.
Toxicol Sci 2004;77:315-324.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Safety of Thimerosal-Containing Vaccines: A Two-Phased Study of Computerized Health Maintenance Organization Databases
Verstraeten et al.
Pediatrics 2003;112:1039-1048.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Decline in Fish Consumption Among Pregnant Women After a National Mercury Advisory
Oken et al.
Obstet Gynecol 2003;102:346-351.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Nutritional Factors May Modify the Toxic Action of Methyl Mercury in Fish-Eating Populations
Clarkson and Strain
J. Nutr. 2003;133:1539S-1543.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Blood Mercury Levels in US Children and Women of Childbearing Age, 1999-2000
Schober et al.
JAMA 2003;289:1667-1674.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

The impact of toxicology on public health policy and service: an update
De Rosa et al.
Toxicol Ind Health 2003;19:115-124.
ABSTRACT  

Organic mercury compounds: human exposure and its relevance to public health
Risher et al.
Toxicol Ind Health 2002;18:109-160.
ABSTRACT  

Commentary: Mercury, PCB, and now eicosapentaenoic acid: still another reason why pregnant women should be concerned about eating seafood?
Olsen
Int J Epidemiol 2001;30:1279-1280.
FULL TEXT  

Technical Report: Mercury in the Environment: Implications for Pediatricians
Goldman et al.
Pediatrics 2001;108:197-205.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

An Assessment of Thimerosal Use in Childhood Vaccines
Ball et al.
Pediatrics 2001;107:1147-1154.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Methylmercury and Neurodevelopment: Reanalysis of the Seychelles Child Development Study Outcomes at 66 Months of Age
Davidson et al.
JAMA 2001;285:1291-1293.
FULL TEXT  

Cognitive Tests: Interpretation for Neurotoxicity? (Workshop Summary)
Slikker et al.
Toxicol Sci 2000;58:222-234.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Limiting Infant Exposure to Thimerosal in Vaccines and Other Sources of Mercury
Halsey
JAMA 1999;282:1763-1766.
FULL TEXT  

Prenatal and Postnatal Methylmercury Exposure and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes
Cox et al.
JAMA 1999;282:1333-1334.
FULL TEXT  

Thimerosal in Vaccines---An Interim Report to Clinicians
Committee on Infectious Diseases and Committee on
Pediatrics 1999;104:570-574.
FULL TEXT  

Effects of Methylmercury Exposure on Neurodevelopment
Grandjean et al.
JAMA 1999;281:896-897.
FULL TEXT  

Methylmercury Exposure and Neurotoxicity
Mahaffey
JAMA 1998;280:737-738.
FULL TEXT