RT Journal Article
T1 Impact of dietary mercury intake during pregnancy on  the health of neonates and children: a systematic review
A1 Saavedra, Steven
A1 Fernández Recamales, María Ángeles
A1 Sayago Gómez, Ana
A1 Cervera Barajas, Antonio
A1 González Domínguez, Raúl
A1 González Sanz, Juan Diego
AB ContextGrowing evidence suggests that prenatal exposure to methyl mercury through the maternal diet could have great influence on the neurological and physical development of neonates and young children.ObjectiveThe aim of this review was to evaluate the clinical repercussions of maternal exposure to methyl mercury during pregnancy on the health of fetuses, neonates, and children up to 8 years of age.Data SourcesThe Web of Science, PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, and Dialnet Plus databases were searched for articles published in English or Spanish from 1990 to 2020.Study SelectionOriginal articles published in English or Spanish from 1990 to 2020 were eligible for inclusion. All study designs were eligible. Animal studies were excluded. Two authors independently screened studies for inclusion. From the 971 records initially identified, 19 studies were included in the systematic review.Data ExtractionPRISMA guidelines were followed. Outcomes extracted included maternal dietary exposure to methyl mercury during pregnancy, possible health repercussions in offspring up to 8 years of age, and quantitative measurement of mercury in a biological sample. All studies met the requirements established for assessing both study quality and risk of bias.ResultsPrenatal exposure to mercury was consistently associated with lower birth weight, but only one study reported a negative association with length at birth. Higher mercury levels were also related to lower scores in various neuropsychological and developmental tests.ConclusionThe literature shows clear evidence of the adverse effects of maternal methyl mercury exposure on anthropometric variables and cognitive or physical development in children. It is noteworthy, however, that mercury toxicity may sometimes be mitigated by other essential nutrients in the maternal diet, such as polyunsaturated fatty acids.
PB Oxford University Press
SN 0029-6643
SN 1753-4887 (electrónico)
YR 2021
FD 2021
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10272/19992
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10272/19992
LA eng
NO Saavedra, S., Fernández-Recamales, Á., Sayago, A., Cervera-Barajas, A., González-Domínguez, R., & Gonzalez-Sanz, J. D. (2021). Impact of dietary mercury intake during pregnancy on the health of neonates and children: a systematic review. Nutrition Reviews. https://doi.org/10.1093/nutrit/nuab029
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Huelva
RD 31 may 2026