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Long-term Behavioral and Reproductive Consequences of Embryonic Exposure to Low-dose Toxicants
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Chronic lead exposure and pregnancy

C Savona-Ventura1, M Sammut, G Ducoffre

  • 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, St. Luke's Hospital, Gwardamangia, Malta.

The International Journal of Risk & Safety in Medicine
|March 21, 2013
PubMed

The objective of the study was to determine the effect of chronic lead exposure on pregnancy and the newborn. Cord blood was assayed for blood lead levels (PbB) in a randomly selected group of 82 Maltese newborns. Twenty-eight (34.1%) neonates had a PbB level greater than 200 μg/l. Two trends appeared with increasing blood lead levels suggesting a decrease in newborn birth weight (r=-0.1445, P=0.207) and an increase in the duration of the first stage of spontaneous labour (r=0.1385, P=0.3043). There appeared to be no mean differences in maternal third trimester haemoglobin, duration of gestation, and previous pregnancy loss in infants with high PbB levels compared to infants with low PbB. Through its properties of inhibiting enzymatic function and its competitiveness with other minerals, calcium and zinc, chronic sub-toxic lead exposure during pregnancy may cause adverse effects on the neonate and pregnancy.

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