Association of Mercury Exposure and Maternal Sociodemographics on Birth Outcomes of Indigenous and Tribal Women in Suriname

Abstract

Information regarding adverse birth outcomes (ABO) of Indigenous and Tribal women living in the remote tropical rainforest of Suriname, where mercury (Hg) use is abundant in artisanal gold mining, is not available. In the context of a health system analysis, we examined the association between Hg exposure, maternal sociodemographics on the ABO of Indigenous and Tribal women living in Suriname’s interior and its capital, Paramaribo. ABO were determined in pregnant women enrolled from December 2016 to July 2019 in the Caribbean Consortium for Environmental and Occupational Health prospective environmental epidemiologic cohort study. Associations were explored using Pearson’s χ2-test and the Mann–Whitney U-test. Among 351 singleton participants, 32% were Indigenous, residing mainly in the interior (86.8%), and 23.1% had ABO. Indigenous participants had higher rates of ABO (29.8% vs. 19.8%) and preterm birth (PTB) (21.2% vs. 12.4%), higher Hg levels, delivered at a younger age, were less educated, and had lower household income compared to Tribal participants. Multivariate logistic regression models revealed that Indigenous participants had higher odds of ABO (OR = 3.60; 95% CI 1.70–7.63) and PTB (OR = 3.43; 95% CI 1.48–7.96) compared with Tribal participants, independent of Hg exposure and age at delivery. These results highlight the importance of effective risk reduction measures in support of Indigenous mothers, families, and communities.

Mercury Exposure in Women of Reproductive Age in Rondônia State, Amazon Region, Brazil

“…Comparing this study results with previous research, similar Hg levels were found with other communities in the Amazon region [ 30 , 31 , 36 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 ] and in South America [ 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 ], all exceeding internationally accepted safety levels for total Hg in hair [ 1 ].…”

“…Alves et al [ 46 ] and Baldewsingh et al [ 47 ] found higher levels of Hg among rural than urban communities, as a result of less diverse diet patterns. Drouillet-Pinard et al [ 48 ] and Sakamoto et al [ 49 ] also found that hair Hg levels are mainly associated with fish consumption.…”

Involving hard-to-reach populations is pivotal for the tailoring and implementation of an epidemiological study in cross-border communities of French Guiana and Suriname

“…On the French side, 5% of children aged 6–11 years and 8% of those aged 12–16 years do not attend school ( 21 ). In Suriname, 79.6% of Amerindian women and 45.3% of Maroon women have no or primary education ( 22 ). Traditional lifestyle predominates and most households have no electricity, running water or sanitation.…”