Author:
Michael Tal,Kohn Elkana,Daniel Sharon,Hazan Ariela,Berkovitch Matitiahu,Brik Anna,Hochwald Ori,Borenstein-Levin Liron,Betser Moshe,Moskovich Miki,Livne Ayelet,Keidar Rimona,Rorman Efrat,Groisman Luda,Weiner Zeev,Rabin Adi Malkoff,Solt Ido,Levy Amalia
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Numerous studies have suggested significant associations between prenatal exposure to heavy metals and newborn anthropometric measures. However, little is known about the effect of various heavy metal mixtures at relatively low concentrations. Hence, this study aimed to investigate associations between prenatal exposures to a wide range of individual heavy metals and heavy metal mixtures with anthropometric measures of newborns.
Methods
We recruited 975 mother–term infant pairs from two major hospitals in Israel. Associations between eight heavy metals (arsenic, cadmium, chromium, mercury, nickel, lead, selenium, and thallium) detected in maternal urine samples on the day of delivery with weight, length, and head circumference at birth were estimated using linear and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) models.
Results
Most heavy metals examined in our study were observed in lower concentrations than in other studies, except for selenium. In the linear as well as the BKMR models, birth weight and length were negatively associated with levels of chromium. Birth weight was found to be negatively associated with thallium and positively associated with nickel.
Conclusion
By using a large sample size and advanced statistical models, we could examine the association between prenatal exposure to metals in relatively low concentrations and anthropometric measures of newborns. Chromium was suggested to be the most influential metal in the mixture, and its associations with birth weight and length were found negative. Head circumference was neither associated with any of the metals, yet the levels of metals detected in our sample were relatively low. The suggested associations should be further investigated and could shed light on complex biochemical processes involved in intrauterine fetal development.
Funder
Ministry of Environmental Protection
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Subject
Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
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