Congenital Minamata disease: warnings from Japan's experience.

Abstract

Minamata disease is alkylmercury poisoning causing Hunter-Russell syndrome due to ingestion of seafood polluted by industrial waste. Two epidemics occurred in Minamata (1956) and Niigata (1965), Japan. Many infants with "cerebral palsy" in villages where adult cases occurred were established as having congenital Minamata disease. Developing brains were affected by alkylmercury through transplacental exposure and even by breastfeeding. This report reviews the history, clinical features, pathology, epidemiology, metal analysis, experiments, and sociolegal aspects of congenital Minamata disease. Many victims are still alive and their present conditions are reviewed.

• Authors: K Kondo
• Journal: Journal of child neurology (J Child Neurol) Vol. 15 Issue 7 Pg. 458-64 (Jul 2000) ISSN: 0883-0738 [Print] United States
• PMID: 10921517 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Breast Feeding
• Child
• Child, Preschool
• Cross-Sectional Studies
• Diagnosis, Differential
• Female
• Humans
• Incidence
• Infant
• Infant, Newborn
• Japan (epidemiology)
• Male
• Mercury Poisoning, Nervous System (congenital, diagnosis, epidemiology)
• Pregnancy
• Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects