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Arsenic exposure from drinking water and birth weight
Claudia Hopenhayn1, Catterina Ferreccio, Steven R Browning
1School of Public Health and Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40504, USA. cmhope0@uky.edu
Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.)
|September 23, 2003
Summary
Drinking water arsenic exposure during pregnancy is linked to lower infant birth weight. This study highlights potential reproductive risks associated with moderate arsenic contamination in drinking water.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Reproductive Toxicology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Arsenic exposure via drinking water is a known risk factor for various cancers and noncancerous health issues.
- Limited evidence suggests potential adverse reproductive effects of arsenic.
- This study focused on the association between arsenic exposure and fetal growth, specifically birth weight.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between arsenic exposure from drinking water and fetal growth.
- To determine if arsenic exposure during pregnancy impacts infant birth weight.
Main Methods:
- A prospective cohort study was conducted in two Chilean cities with differing arsenic levels in drinking water (Antofagasta: 40 µg/L, Valparaíso: <1 µg/L).
- Participants provided urine samples for exposure assessment and completed interviews.
- Birth weight data for liveborn, singleton infants (December 1998 - February 2000) were analyzed.
Main Results:
- The study included 424 infants from Antofagasta and 420 from Valparaíso.
- Multivariable analysis, after adjusting for confounders, revealed that infants in Antofagasta had a lower mean birth weight (-57 g; 95% CI: -123 to 9).
Conclusions:
- Moderate arsenic exposure from drinking water during pregnancy is associated with a reduction in birth weight.
- The observed reduction in birth weight is comparable to effects from other environmental exposures like tobacco smoke and benzene.