Maternal PUFA status but not prenatal methylmercury exposure is associated with childrens language functions at age five years in the Seychelles
Authors: Strainn JJ, et al. University of Ulster
Journal: Journal of Nutrition, November 2012
Summary: Researchers followed 225 pregnant women and their offspring in the Seychelles Islands to determine the effects of maternal polyunsaturated (PUFA) status on methylmercury exposure and developmental outcomes in children at five years. Maternal omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids concentrations were measured at gestation week 28 and at delivery using hair collection. When offspring of these mothers were five years old, the children completed a sensitive language and development assessment. Conducted in a population where expecting mothers typically consume 10 times the amount of fish as does the average American pregnant woman, the study demonstrated significant association between maternal omega-3 PUFA levels and language test scores in the children at age 5. While participants methylmercury levels were 12 times that of American pregnant women, there were no adverse associations between maternal methylmercury levels and developmental outcomes.