The purpose of this research is to examine the long term consequences of prenatal exposure to PCBs and MeHg. This project is designed to study domains of effects overlooked in most of the previous studies. Of particular interest is the impact of exposure on neurophysiological and neurological endpoints that could be related to learning difficulties and disabilities. This study will support the health risk assessment process by providing dose-effect analysis for the neurophysiological and neurological domains of effects of preschool age children from Nunavik (Canada). The total sample will comprise 100 Nunavik Inuit children aged 5-6years. The following exclusion criteria will be applied: Apgar below 5 at 5 minutes of life, evidence of birth trauma, less than 37 weeks of gestation and less than 2500 grams at birth, congenital or chromosomal anomalies, epilepsy, significant disease history, major neurological impairment, fetal alcohol syndrome, presence of facial dysmorphologies associated with fetal alcohol effects.
School of Psychology, Laval University, Quebec City Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, University of Quebec at Montreal, Montreal Department of Ophthalmology, Sainte-Justine Hospital, Montreal Department of Pediatrics, University of Montreal, Montreal
- Arctic Environmental Strategy (AES), Northern Contaminants Program, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada - MARH of DIMES Birth Defect Foundation - Fonds de Recherche en Santé du Québec - Toxic Sunstances Research Initiatives, Health Canada
Monitoring programs of human exposure done during first phase of the AMAP program
This prospective study is made possible because of the existence of the Nunavik Cord Blood Surveillance Program funded since 1993 by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Health Canada, and part of the earliest phase of the AMAP program.