Methylmercury Exposure in Women of Childbearing Age and Children

As frontline clinicians, occupational and environmental health nurses play an important role in educating workers and the public about the dangers and toxic effects of environmental contaminants. One of these contaminants is methylmercury, which enters the body through the consumption of contaminated fish and seafood. Methylmercury affects the central nervous system where it may cause psychiatric disturbances, ataxia, neuropathy, and visual and hearing loss. Because their central nervous systems are rapidly developing, the most vulnerable subgroups are infants in utero, babies, and young children. Pregnant women and nursing mothers can directly expose their infants because methylmercury passes through the placenta to the infant and is also present in breast milk. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview for occupational and environmental health nurses and other health care practitioners about the causes and consequences of methylmercury exposure in women of childbearing age and children so that they can better educate workers about this environmental contaminant.