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Parental exposure to lead and small for gestational age births

Pau-Chung Chen1, I-Jen Pan, Jung-Der Wang

  • 1Institute of Occupational Medicine and Industrial Hygiene, National Taiwan University College of Public Health, Taipei, Taiwan. pchen@ntu.edu.tw

American Journal of Industrial Medicine
|April 6, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Maternal lead exposure increases the risk of having small for gestational age (SGA) infants. This occupational study highlights the significant impact of maternal lead levels on adverse birth outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Health
  • Reproductive Toxicology
  • Perinatal Epidemiology

Background:

  • Inconsistent findings exist regarding lead exposure and adverse birth outcomes.
  • Few studies have specifically examined parental lead exposure and small for gestational age (SGA) infants.
  • Occupational cohort studies are needed to clarify these relationships.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the relationship between parental lead exposure and adverse birth outcomes, including decreased birth weight and shortened gestational ages.
  • To investigate if higher lead exposure doses increase risks of low birth weight (LBW), preterm delivery, and SGA births.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized the Program to Reduce Exposure by Surveillance System-Blood Lead Levels (Press-BLLS) database in Taiwan (1993-1997).
  • Collected data on lead-exposed workers and linked to the Taiwan birth registration database for offspring outcomes.
  • Included singleton births with parental blood lead levels measured during pregnancy or within one year prior.

Main Results:

  • Among 1,611 births, 72 were LBW, 74 preterm, and 135 SGA.
  • Maternal blood lead concentrations (PbBs) ≥ 20 μg/dL were associated with a higher risk of SGA births (RR = 2.15; 95% CI, 1.15-3.83).

Conclusions:

  • Provides additional evidence on lead's effects on adverse birth outcomes, particularly SGA births.
  • Maternal lead exposure demonstrates a more significant role in adverse birth outcomes compared to paternal exposure.
Abstract

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