Environmental Contaminants and Infant Development

Status

Completed

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Observational

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT00013858

Enrollment

280

Registered

2001-04-03

Start date

1997-01-31

Completion date

2011-08-31

Last updated

2015-04-14

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Lead Poisoning, Mercury Poisoning

Keywords

methylmercury, PCBs, lead, fish consumption, breast-feeding

Brief summary

This study is designed to examine the effects of prenatal exposure to environmental contaminants on cognitive and behavioral development and physical growth in two groups of Inuit infants-one in Northern Quebec; the other in Greenland.

Detailed description

Due to prevailing weather patterns and ocean currents, certain environmental contaminants are transported to the Arctic region. The Inuit are among the most heavily exposed populations on earth due to the prevalence of these contaminants in traditional foods that comprise a large portion of their diet. The contaminants assessed in this study include polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), methylmercury, selenium, organochlorine pesticides, and lead. These contaminants are measured in umbilical cord blood samples obtained at birth, milk samples obtained from breast-feeding mothers and, in the case of mercury, hair samples obtained from the mothers. Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are also assessed in these samples to examine the degree to which these nutrients may protect against adverse effects attributable to these contaminants.

Interventions

None listed

Study design

Time perspective

PROSPECTIVE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

1 Days to 1 Days

Healthy volunteers

Yes

Inclusion criteria

infant born during recruitment period to a mother who is a resident of Povungnituk, Inukjuak, and Kuujjuarapik, Quebec or Nuuk, Greenland

Countries

Canada

Outcome results