Northern Health Forum Abstract

Northern Health Forum
Abstract
NUNAVIK CHILD DEVELOPMENT LONGITUDINAL STUDY
Muckle, Gina ([email protected])
École de psychologie, Faculté des sciences sociales, Université Laval
Axe Santé des populations et pratiques optimales en santé, Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval,
Québec, Québec, G1V 0A6
The Inuit from Nunavik are highly exposed to environmental contaminants such as organochlorine compounds,
mercury and lead due to their high consumption of predatory fish and marine mammals and the use of lead containing
ammunition. The Nunavik Child Development Study is a prospective mother-child cohort study enrolled at birth during
the 1990’s with children followed at 1, 5, 11 and 16 years of age. Concentrations of environmental contaminants and
nutrients were assessed in cord and child blood samples; cognitive and motor functions from direct assessment of the
child; attention and behaviour problems by standardized teacher report; visual function through electrophysiological
testing. Control variables with regard to child’s sex and age at testing, prenatal exposure to tobacco, alcohol, food
insecurity, socioeconomic status and family environment were documented through medical records, maternal
interviews and blood biomarkers. This presentation will provide an overview of what was learned during the previous
two decades with regard to effects of exposure to environmental contaminants on child development from this birth
cohort followed prospectively, and from this long term collaborative work involving multiple researchers, public health
officials and stakeholders from Nunavik, and the Nunavik Nutrition and Health Committee.