Maternal exposure to nickel in relation to preterm delivery

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Reproductive Epidemiology
• Toxicology

Background:

• Prior research suggests nickel may affect reproduction.
• Limited epidemiological data exists on maternal nickel exposure and preterm delivery risk.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate prenatal nickel exposure as a risk factor for preterm delivery (< 37 weeks).
• To analyze the association between maternal urinary nickel levels and preterm birth in a large Chinese birth cohort.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 7291 pregnant women in Wuhan, China, was studied.
• Urinary nickel concentrations were measured using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry.
• Statistical analysis adjusted for potential confounding factors.

Main Results:

• The median urinary nickel level was 5.05 creatinine μg/g.
• Each doubling in maternal urinary nickel concentration correlated with a 16% increase in preterm delivery odds (aOR: 1.08-1.24).
• Associations remained consistent for spontaneous and iatrogenic preterm deliveries.

Conclusions:

• Higher maternal urinary nickel concentrations are associated with an increased risk of preterm delivery.
• Prenatal nickel exposure may be a significant risk factor for adverse birth outcomes.
• Further research is warranted to understand nickel's reproductive toxicity and public health implications.