Evoked potentials in Faroese children prenatally exposed to methylmercury

A study of 7-year-old children from a fishing village on Madeira has sugges ted that latencies of evoked potentials may be delayed because of increased exposures to methylmercury during development. Data from a previously publ ished prospective study in the Faroe Islands have therefore been reexamined . Because of changes in instrumentation, results obtained during the second year of examination were excluded. After this restriction, the results sho w significant mercury-associated delays of the peak III latency and the I-I II interpeak latency of the auditory brainstem evoked potentials. Mercury c oncentrations in both maternal hair at parturition and in cord blood indica ted this association, whereas no such relationship was apparent with the ch ild's current hair-mercury concentration. Thus, in agreement with the findi ngs from Madeira, a delay of the peak III latency of the brainstem auditory evoked potentials appears to serve as a marker of prenatal methylmercury t oxicity from contaminated seafood. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Inc. All right s reserved.