MONITORING METHYLMERCURY DURING PREGNANCY - MATERNAL HAIR PREDICTS FETAL BRAIN EXPOSURE

Autopsy brains were obtained from infants dying from a variety of caus es within a few days of birth in a population exposed to methylmercury in fish. Infant and maternal blood and hair samples were also obtaine d. The concentration of total mercury in 6 major brain regions were hi ghly correlated with maternal hair levels. This correlation was confir med by a sequence of comparisons of maternal hair to maternal blood to infant blood and finally to infant brain. The results lend support to the use of maternal hair in assessing fetal exposure to methylmercury in fish-eating populations. (C) 1995 Intox Press, Inc.