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Published on: August 25, 2014
Association of newborn blood lead concentration with neurodevelopment outcome in early infancy
Dolat Singh Shekhawat1, Vikash Chandra Janu2, Pratibha Singh3
1Department of Pediatrics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, 342005, India.
Insights
Newborn umbilical cord blood lead exposure negatively impacts infant gross motor development. Maternal calcium supplement intake during pregnancy was linked to lower lead levels in newborns.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Neurodevelopmental Pediatrics
- Toxicology
Background:
- Prenatal exposure to toxic metals, such as lead, poses significant risks to fetal and infant neurodevelopment.
- Lead exposure can lead to severe neurodevelopmental deficits, impacting cognitive, motor, and social-emotional functions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between newborn umbilical cord blood lead concentration and early neurodevelopmental outcomes in infants.
- To identify potential risk factors for lead contamination and their impact on infant development.
Main Methods:
- A prospective study enrolled 167 mother-child pairs in Western Rajasthan, India.
- Neurodevelopmental performance was assessed using the Bayley Scale of Infant Development-III (BSID-III) at an average age of 6.5 months.
- Multivariate regression analysis examined the relationship between cord blood lead levels and neurodevelopmental scores.
Main Results:
- Newborn umbilical cord blood lead concentrations between 5.0-10.5 μg/dL showed a negative association with gross motor development scores (p=0.04).
- No significant associations were found between lead levels (<5.0 μg/dL or 5.0-10.5 μg/dL) and cognitive, language, or social-emotional development.
- Maternal antenatal calcium supplement intake was significantly associated with lower umbilical cord blood lead levels (p=0.031).
Conclusions:
- Newborn umbilical cord blood lead concentrations within the 5.0-10.5 μg/dL range are negatively associated with early infant gross motor development.
- Maternal calcium supplementation may be a protective factor against lead exposure in newborns.
Background:
In utero exposure to toxic metal substances can cause severe neurodevelopmental deficits in developing fetus and infant.
Methods:
We evaluated the association of newborn umbilical cord blood lead concentration with early neurodevelopmental performance (cognitive, receptive language, expressive language, fine motor, gross motor and social-emotional development). The Bayley Scale of Infants Developments-III (BSID-III) was used to perform neurodevelopment outcomes at an average age of 6.5 months. In this prospective study, total of 167 mother-child pairs were enrolled from Western Rajasthan, India. Association between risk factors of lead contamination and newborn umbilical cord blood lead levels was observed. Multivariate regression was performed to see the association of cord blood lead level with infant neurodevelopment outcome.
Results:
The obtained newborn umbilical cord blood lead concentration 5.0-10.5 μg/dL was negatively associated with the sub-scale score of gross motor development (β-coefficient with 95 % CI; -0.29 (-5.0-0.11), p = 0.04). However, no associations were found with the score of cognitive, language, gross motor, and social-emotional development. The umbilical cord blood lead concentration <5.0 μg/dL was also not associated with the BSID-III scores. The mother's regular intake of calcium supplements during the antenatal period was significantly associated with a lower umbilical cord blood lead level (p-value 0.031).
Conclusion:
The data suggest that newborn umbilical cord blood lead concentration 0.5-10.5 μg/dL has a negative association with early gross motor development during infancy.
