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Trimester-specific prenatal heavy metal exposures and sex-specific postpartum size and growth

Lena Yao1, Lili Liu2,3, Ming Dong3

  • 1Program in Epidemiology, Division of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA.

Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology
|April 30, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Prenatal exposure to heavy metals like mercury (Hg) and vanadium (V) impacts infant size and growth. Specific metals like cesium (Cs), rubidium (Rb), and thallium (Tl) showed associations with weight and head circumference in males.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Health
  • Developmental Pediatrics
  • Toxicology

Background:

  • Limited research exists on the effects of multiple heavy metal exposures during pregnancy on early childhood development.
  • Prenatal exposure to environmental toxins is a growing concern for child health outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between prenatal exposure to 15 heavy metals and infant size and growth.
  • To examine the impact of heavy metal exposure at different pregnancy stages on postnatal development.

Main Methods:

  • Evaluated 15 heavy metals using urinary concentrations from 358 mother-child pairs during the first and third trimesters.
  • Assessed infant weight, length, and head circumference (HC) at birth and at 1, 3, and 6 months of age.
  • Employed sex-stratified general linear models and explored confounding effects among metals.

Main Results:

  • First-trimester mercury (Hg) exposure linked to reduced HC in males; vanadium (V) linked to reduced female weight and a weight decline over time.
  • Third-trimester cesium (Cs), rubidium (Rb), and thallium (Tl) associated with increased weight and HC in males.
  • Third-trimester selenium (Se) associated with increased HC in females over time.
  • Confounding effects observed between Cs, Rb, and Tl.

Conclusions:

  • Multiple biologically plausible associations exist between prenatal heavy metal exposures and early childhood size and growth.
  • This study provides a comprehensive analysis of various heavy metals' impact on infant development, highlighting sex-specific effects.
Abstract

Keywords:
Child exposure/healthChildren’s healthEarly life exposureMetalsVulnerable populations

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