Year of grant:
2004

Research Area:
Heilsa

Project type:
Verkætlan

Project title:
Umhvørviseitur í føroyskum barnakonum

Grant number:
0305

Project manager:
Pál Weihe

Institution/company:
Deildin fyri Arbeiðs- og Almannaheilsu

Other participants:
Annika Hoydal, jarðamóðir, føðideildin og Deildin fyri Arbeiðs- og Almannaheilsu (DfAA)
Odmar Færø, barnalækni, Landssjúkahúsið og DfAA
Nanna Kallsberg, heilsurøktarfrøðingur, DfAA
Linda Kannuberg, bioanalytikari
Anna Louisa Jacobsen, biokemikari

Project period:
Original: 1.9.2006 - 31.8.2007
Final: 1.10.2006 - 31.5.2009

Total budget:
1.401.000 kr.

Grant from the FRC in DKK:
465.300 kr.

Project description:
Original description:
Kanningararbeiðið á Deildini fyri Arbeiðs-og Almannaheilsu hevur víst, at føroyskar barnakonur eru illa dálkaðar av umhvørviseitri, og at henda dálking ávirkar heilsuna hjá børnum teirra, m.a. heilabúningina, hjarta-æðralagið og immunverjuna. Føroyskir heilsumyndugleikar hava tí rátt barnakonum frá at eta grind og spik. Til tess at vita um kosttilmælið hevði nakra ávirkan, varð fyri 3 árum síðan gjørd umfatandi kostkanning av 150 barnakonum í síðsta triðingi av graviditetinum. Kanningin vísti, at barnakonurnar søgdu seg hava minkað stórliga um nýtsluna av grind og spik, og samsvarandi tí sást eisini sera stórt fall í teirra kviksilvurinnihaldi, men óbroyttar nøgdir av PCBum í mun til virðini mitt í nítiárunum. Fallið var so stórt, at ein kann ivast í, um tað er rætt. Spurningurin er, um hesar kvinnurnar, sum vóru við í kanningini, í veruleikanum umboða gravidar kvinnur í Føroyum sum heild, ella um hesar bert vóru ein serbólkur av kvinnum við sera lítlari nýtslu av grind. Tann einasti mátin at kanna hetta er aftur at fara undir at savna inn tilfar frá kvinnum, sum koma inn á sjúkrahúsini at eiga. Hetta er týdningarmikið, bæði fyri at fáa at vita um stóra minkingin í kviksilvurinnihaldið er verulig, men eisini fyri at kanna nærri, um PCB-innihaldið framvegis er høgt.

Ætlanin er at taka blóðroynd í 37. viku, blóð frá nalvastreingi og hár frá mammuni í samband við føðing og móðurmjólk beint áðrenn útskriving frá føðistaðnum. Í hesi umsókn um granskingarstyrk verður søkt um pening til at savna inn tilfar frá 300 mammum og at kanna blóð og hár fyri kviksilvur. Kanningarnar fyri PCB og onnur líknandi evni í móðurmjólk og blóði fara vit at søkja um pening til aðrastaðni frá, tí hesar kanningar eru sera dýrar.

Final report:
In total 747 pregnant women were invited to participate in the study. At the end of May 2009 491 had accepted to join the study. We obtained blood from the umbilical cord and umbilical cord tissue at birth. An hair sample was taken from the mother at delivery and milk samples were obtained at birth and two weeks after birth, when the mother gave a blood sample as well.

The midwife has retrived health informations about the pregnancy perido and about the delivery itself from the health records. These informations are now computerised.

A pediatrician examined the child two weeks after birth (in 42. gestational week). The examination method has been the Neurological Optimality Score, which is an attempt to score the functional level of the central nervous system. The higher score the better. These score will eventually be compared to the exposure to contaminants like mercury and PCB. However, this is not done so far since the chemical analysis from the laboratories are not available yet. The results are expected in the end of the year.

In conclusion we have reached our objectives to establish a cohort of 491 new born (the goal was 500). We have obtained the samples intended and we have obtained information about the pregnancy and delivery. Furthermore a peditrician has estimated the functional status of the central nervous system of all the children shortly after birth.

Project status:
Liðug

Project output:
P. Weihe. Nutritional Measures in the Faroe Island Study. Nutritox Workshop II – PHIME. Prague. February 26-27, 2008.

P. Weihe. The Faroese Cohort Studies on Effects of Contaminants. Årsmötet 2008. Svensk Förening för Toxikologi • Swedish Society of Toxicology. Solna, Stockholm, Sweden. Mars 14, 2008.

P. Weihe. Methylmercury Exposure and Adverse Cardiovascular Effects in Faroese Whalingmen. PHIME - WPII:1.2-3 Follow-up meeting. Kuopio, Finland. 27 May 2008.

P.Weihe. Risk Assessment of mercury – CNS and CVS. Training course for PhD at the University of Brescia 18-26. sept. 2008.

P. Weihe. Metylkvicksilver och hjärnans tidiga utveckling: Studier på Färöarna, Seychellerna och i Medelhavet. Svensk Förening för Toxikologi • Swedish Society of Toxicology. Solna, Stockholm, Sweden. Maj 13, 2009.

P. Weihe. WPI:1 Effects of exposure to methylmercury on the foetal brain. PHIME Third Annual Review Meeting Public health impact of long-term, low-level mixed element exposure in susceptible population strata strata. Brussels, Belgium. Maj 13, 2009.

Choi, Anna L.(presenting author); Weihe, Pal; Budtz-Jørgensen, Esben; Jørgensen, Poul J.; Salonen, Jukka T.; Tuomainen, Tomi-Pekka; Murata, Katsuyuki; Nielsen, Hans Petur; Petersen, Maria Skaalum; Askham, Jórun; Grandjean, Philippe. Methylmercury exposure, fish consumption, and cardiovascular function in Faroese Whalingmen. ICMGP 2009 International Conference on Mercury as a Global Pollutant. Guizhou Province, Guiyang, China. June 7-12, 2009.

Weihe, Pál M.(presenting author); Grandjean, Philippe; Murata, Katsuyuki; Debes, Fródi; Ludvig, Arni; Steuerwald, Ulrike; Budtz-Joergensen, Esben; Choi, Anna L. Methylmercury and the fetal brain: The Faroe Islands Studies. ICMGP 2009 International Conference on Mercury as a Global Pollutant. Guizhou Province, Guiyang, China. June 7-12, 2009.



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