Publications by authors named "Sigrid MacDonald-Ottevanger"
Purpose: The Caribbean Consortium for Research in Environmental and Occupational Health prospective environmental epidemiologic cohort study addresses the impact of chemical and non-chemical environmental exposures on mother/child dyads in Suriname. The study determines associations between levels of environmental elements and toxicants in pregnant women, and birth outcomes and neurodevelopment in their children.
Participants: Pregnant women (N=1143) were enrolled from December 2016 to July 2019 from three regions of Suriname: Paramaribo (N=738), Nickerie (N=204) and the tropical rainforest interior (N=201).
Article Synopsis
- Prenatal exposure to mercury, stress, and depression might negatively impact birth outcomes, especially in Suriname, where little research has been done on these factors.
- A study involving 1143 pregnant women examined the effects of mercury levels, perceived stress, and depression on issues like low birthweight and preterm birth.
- Results showed that high mercury levels increased the likelihood of preterm births and that perceived stress linked to low Apgar scores, while depression did not correlate with any adverse birth outcomes.*
Previous research has found that women and children living in rural, interior communities in Suriname have high concentrations of mercury in hair. Freshwater fish from these areas also have high concentrations of mercury. Artisanal and small-scale gold mining operations in parts of the country use elemental mercury to extract gold from soils and sediments.
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