Prenatal and childhood exposures to heavy metals and their associations with child cognition, motor skills, behaviour and mental health.

ABSTRACT: Exposure to arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb) and mercury (Hg), prenatally and in childhood could pose a significant risk to children's neurodevelopmental outcomes. A mini-review synthesized the findings of original peer-reviewed prospective cohort studies that investigated associations between prenatal and/or childhood exposure to As, Cd, Pb and Hg and chemical mixtures that included these metals, and cognitive, motor, behaviour and mental health outcomes in children and adolescents. Scopus, OVID Medline, EMBASE and PsychINFO were searched for relevant studies published in English between January 01, 2022, and June 30, 2025. Of the 1089 studies identified, 77 met the criteria for inclusion. Thirty-four different cohorts for 18 countries were included, and sample sizes ranged from 48 t

SUBMITTER: Dewey D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12794335 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature