Prenatal Co-Exposure to Manganese, Mercury, and Lead, and Neurodevelopment in Children during the First Year of Life

Paulina Farías, David Hernández-Bonilla (), Hortensia Moreno-Macías, Sergio Montes-López, Lourdes Schnaas, José Luis Texcalac-Sangrador, Camilo Ríos and Horacio Riojas-Rodríguez
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Paulina Farías: Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Dirección de Salud Ambiental, Universidad 655, Col. Sta. Ma. Ahucatitlán, Cuernavaca 62100, Mexico
David Hernández-Bonilla: Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Dirección de Salud Ambiental, Universidad 655, Col. Sta. Ma. Ahucatitlán, Cuernavaca 62100, Mexico
Hortensia Moreno-Macías: Unidad Iztapalapa, División de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Ciudad de México 09340, Mexico
Sergio Montes-López: Unidad Académica Multidisciplinaria Reynosa-Aztlán, Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas, Lago de Chapala y Calle 16, Aztlán, Reynosa 88740, Mexico
Lourdes Schnaas: Instituto Nacional de Perinatología, Montes Urales 800, Lomas de Virreyes, Ciudad de México 11000, Mexico
José Luis Texcalac-Sangrador: Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Dirección de Salud Ambiental, Universidad 655, Col. Sta. Ma. Ahucatitlán, Cuernavaca 62100, Mexico
Camilo Ríos: Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía, Av. Insurgentes Sur No. 3877, La Fama, Ciudad de México 14269, Mexico
Horacio Riojas-Rodríguez: Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Dirección de Salud Ambiental, Universidad 655, Col. Sta. Ma. Ahucatitlán, Cuernavaca 62100, Mexico

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 20, 1-12

Abstract: Lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), and manganese (Mn) are neurotoxic, but little is known about the neurodevelopmental effects associated with simultaneous prenatal exposure to these metals. We aimed to study the associations of Pb, Hg, and Mn prenatal levels (jointly and separately) with neurodevelopment in the first year of life. Methods: Pb, Hg, and Mn blood lead levels were measured in 253 pregnant women. Their offspring’s neurodevelopment was assessed through the Bayley Scale of Infant Development III ® at one, three, six, and twelve months. The metals’ mean blood levels (µg/L) were Pb = 11.2, Hg = 2.1, and Mn = 10.2. Mean language, cognitive, and motor development scores of the infants at each age were between low-average and average. Multilevel models’ results showed that language development coefficients of the offspring decreased by 1.5 points per 1 µg/dL increase in maternal blood lead levels ( p = 0.002); the magnitude of the aforementioned association increased in children with maternal blood Mn < 9.6 µg/L (ß = −1.9, p = 0.003) or Hg > 1.9 µg/L (ß = −1.6, p = 0.013). Cognitive and motor development had negative associations with maternal blood Pb levels; the latter was statistically significant when the interaction term between Pb, Mn, and Hg was included (ß = −0.037, p = 0.03). Prenatal exposure to low Pb levels may impair infants’ neurodevelopment in the first year of life, even more so if they are exposed to Hg or deficient in Mn.

Keywords: lead; manganese; mercury; co-exposure; prenatal; children; neurodevelopment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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