Methylmercury exposure and child malnutrition: Mechanistic pathways and epidemiological evidence - A narrative review
DOI: https://doi.org/10.56922/mchc.v5i4.3783
Child Nutritional Status Endocrine Disruption Heavy Metal Toxicity Methylmercury Stunting
Abstract
Background: Mercury exposure has emerged as a public health concern that may contribute to impaired nutritional status among children, particularly in developing countries where environmental contamination remains prevalent.
Purpose: To review the biological mechanisms and epidemiological evidence regarding the effects of methylmercury exposure on children's nutritional status.
Method: A narrative review was conducted by synthesizing evidence from published studies on methylmercury exposure and child nutrition, focusing on gastrointestinal, metabolic, and endocrine mechanisms as well as epidemiological findings from various countries.
Results: Methylmercury disrupts nutrient absorption, interferes with essential mineral metabolism, and alters endocrine function. Epidemiological studies consistently demonstrate associations between mercury exposure and stunting, anemia, impaired growth, and abnormal body mass index trajectories among children.
Conclusion: Mercury exposure negatively affects children's nutritional status through multiple biological pathways. Further prospective studies are required to establish causality and inform preventive public health strategies.
Downloads
References
Adlim, M., Kamil, H., & Karma, T. (2023). Identification and Correlation Test of Mercury Levels in Community Urine at Traditional Gold Processing Locations. Journal of Ecological Engineering, 24(3).
Allan, Y., Shen, X., Williams, P. L., Ford, J. B., Souter, I., Zhang, D., & Earth Study Team. (2025). Hair mercury, serum omega-3 fatty acids and menstrual symptoms among women seeking fertility care. The Journal of Nutrition.
Bjørklund, G., Aaseth, J., Ajsuvakova, O. P., Nikonorov, A. A., Skalny, A. V., Skalnaya, M. G., & Tinkov, A. A. (2017). Molecular interaction between mercury and selenium in neurotoxicity. Coordination Chemistry Reviews, 332, 30-37.
Chang, J., Yang, B., Zhou, Y., Yin, C., Liu, T., Qian, H., & Lu, R. (2019). Acute methylmercury exposure and the hypoxia-inducible factor-1α signaling pathway under normoxic conditions in the rat brain and astrocytes in vitro. Environmental Health Perspectives, 127(12), 127006.
Chen, B., & Dong, S. (2022). Mercury contamination in fish and its effects on the health of pregnant women and their fetuses, and guidance for fish consumption a narrative review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(23), 15929.
Dack, K., Wootton, R. E., Taylor, C. M., & Lewis, S. J. (2022). Prenatal mercury exposure and infant weight trajectories in a UK observational birth cohort. Toxics, 11(1), 10.
Esdaile, L. J., & Chalker, J. M. (2018). The mercury problem in artisanal and small‐scale gold mining. Chemistry–A European Journal, 24(27), 6905-6916.
Gan, C., Feng, X., Yang, K. L., Sun, G., Luo, W., Yang, Q., & Abdelhafiz, M. A. (2025). Maternal prenatal mercury exposure from rice and its association with newborn neurobehavioral development. Environmental Pollution, 127465.
Gao, Z. Y., Li, M. M., Wang, J., Yan, J., Zhou, C. C., & Yan, C. H. (2018). Blood mercury concentration, fish consumption and anthropometry in Chinese children: A national study. Environment international, 110, 14-21.
Kuznetsov, D. A. (1987). Paradoxical effect of methyl mercury on mitochondrial protein synthesis in mouse brain tissue. Neurochemical research, 12(8), 751-753.
Lee, S., Kim, J. H., Moon, H. B., Park, J., Choi, G., & Kim, S. (2023). Effects of mercury exposure on fetal body burden and its association with infant growth. Environmental Research, 217, 114780.
Lewoń-Mrozek, D., Kurzynoga, J., Jędrzejewski, P., Kędzierska, K., Partyka, A., Kuriata-Kordek, M., & Ściskalska, M. (2024). Molecular structure of paraoxonase-1 and its modifications in relation to enzyme activity and biological functions a comprehensive review. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 25(23), 13129.
Parajuli, R., & Oldewage-Theron, W. (2025). A growing triple burden of malnutrition in South Asia due to the cumulative effect of double burden of malnutrition and parasitic infections in South Asian low-and middle-income countries: a scoping review. Nutrients, 17(21), 3494.
Popkin, B. M., Corvalan, C., & Grummer-Strawn, L. M. (2020). Dynamics of the double burden of malnutrition and the changing nutrition reality. The Lancet, 395(10217), 65-74.
Ralston, N. V., & Raymond, L. J. (2010). Dietary selenium's protective effects against methylmercury toxicity. Toxicology, 278(1), 112-123.
Raymond, L. J., & Ralston, N. V. (2009). Selenium's importance in regulatory issues regarding mercury. Fuel Processing Technology, 90(11), 1333-1338.
Sherlock, J. C., Lindsay, D. G., Hislop, J. E., Evans, W. H., & Collier, T. R. (1982). Duplication diet study on
mercury intake by fish consumers in the United Kingdom. Archives of Environmental Health: An International Journal, 37(5), 271-278.
Shin, M. W., Kim, H. B., Kwon, A., Park, M. J., & Kim, S. H. (2024). Associations between urinary mercury/cadmium concentrations and anthropometric features in Korean children. Toxics, 12(3), 175.
Sinaga, D. B. H., Afifah, N. N., & Muniroh, M. (2025). Mercury Fish Consumption with Nutritional Implications in Indonesia: A Literature Review. Journal of Nutrition College, 14(1), 74-82.
Starling, P., Charlton, K., McMahon, A. T., & Lucas, C. (2015). Fish intake during pregnancy and foetal neurodevelopment a systematic review of the evidence. Nutrients, 7(3), 2001-2014.
World Health Organization. (2024). Child malnutrition estimates for the indicators stunting, wasting, overweight and underweight describe the magnitude and patterns of under- and overnutrition. UNICEF-WHO-WB Joint Child Malnutrition Estimates inter-agency group updates regularly the global and regional estimates in prevalence and numbers for each indicator. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/topics/joint-child-malnutrition-estimates-unicef-who-wb
Zulaikhah, S. T., Wahyuwibowo, J., & Pratama, A. A. (2020). Mercury and its effect on human health: A review of the literature. International Journal of Public Health Science, 9(2), 103-114.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 THE JOURNAL OF Mother and Child Health Concerns
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
