Traditional Inuit Foods: Implications for the Health of Mothers and Their Children

Joseph L. Jacobson, Ph.D.
Wayne State University
R01ES07902

Background: The human toxicity of PCBs and methyl mercury have been recognized through epidemiologic studies of exposed populations generally following industrial accidents. Both of these compounds cause a variety of adverse health effects including learning disorders. Also, both of these compounds bioaccumulate in the fat of fish and marine mammals causing concern for human populations who consume large amounts of these animals. Such a population is the Inuit of northern Quebec. Previous research has documented human exposure to PCBs and methyl mercury, and the Inuit are among the most heavily exposed people in the world. To address this problem, a collaborative research team from Wayne State University and Laval University in Quebec carried out this study to examine the sociodemographic characteristics associated with consumption of traditional Inuit foods and to identify food items that contribute to PCB and mercury exposure and the degree to which infants were prenatally exposed to these compounds.

Advance: Inuit women reported eating large amounts of fish, beluga muktuk/fat, seal meat and seal fat during their pregancies. Fish and seal meat consumption was associated with increased mercury exposure as measured in hair samples. Traditional food intake during pregnancy was unrelated to PCB body burden because it is more of a function of lifetime consumption and exposure. Despite widespread knowledge of traditional foods being a source of these contaminants, many women increased their consumption of these foods because of pregnancy-related changes in food preferences and their belief that these foods were beneficial for the women and their fetuses. Measurements for mercury and PCBs in the mothers' hair, plasma, and milk, as well as the children's cord blood showed levels consistent with cognitive deficits reported in other studies.

Implication: Continuing studies are being conducted to determine whether the children experience any learning disabilities associated with the diets of their mothers during pregnancy. If such impairments exist as they have in other studies, additional public health efforts will be warranted to discourage the consumption of highly contaminated traditional foods during pregnancy and nursing.

Citation: Muckle G, Ayotte P, Dewailly E, Jacobson SW, Jacobson JL. Determinants of polychlorinated biphenyls and methylmercury exposure in inuit women of childbearing age. Environ Health Perspect. 2001 Sep;109(9):957-63.

Citation: Muckle G, Ayotte P, Dewailly E E, Jacobson SW, Jacobson JL. Prenatal exposure of the northern Quebec inuit infants to environmental contaminants. Environ Health Perspect. 2001 Dec;109(12):1291-9.