Influence of Mercury Exposure During Pregnancy to Neurodevelopmental Disorder: A Systematic Review Protocol

Abstract Background: The general population might expose to Hg through various pathways. Prenatal or postnatal exposure to mercury might affect the fetus's neurodevelopment and then further affect the growth and development of the children. There are many reports on mercury exposure, but systematic reviews to conclude the result are still limited, particularly concerning pregnancy. Previous studies focus on one exposure path to Hg and biomarker. The objective is to systematically summarize the relevant records from systematic studies on the relationship between the exposure pattern during pregnancy to pregnant women's Hg concentration and neurodevelopmental disorder that occurred in the children.Method: We will search online databases (Google Schoolar, PUBMED, Sciencedirect, Proquest, Web of Science, Springerlink, DOAJ (Directory of Open Access Journals) and EBSCO MEDLINE) and reference lists of included articles. Two reviewers will independently screen the titles and abstracts and select the research involving pregnant women with mercury exposure and neurodevelopmental disorder fetus or children. These reviewers will also independently extract and manage the obtained data using a data extraction form that will cover information on characteristic, exposure, and outcomes. Meta-analysis will also be applied when homogeneous group of studies found.Discussion: This study will describe the available epidemiological evidence and summarise prevalence and incidence rates of mercury exposure and neurodevelopmental disorder. Mean difference of mercury level will be also presented. A better understanding of the relationship between mercury exposure and any neurodevelopmental disorder form will be helpful in the development of guidelines for mercury exposure management.Systematic review registration: It has been submitted to PROSPERO on February, 10th 2021.